In Ironman's Workshop
by TapTapAlways
Summary: The Tower is a chaotic place where anything might happen, and Tony Stark's workshop is even more so! Or the one where the Avengers are a mal-adjusted lot with so much baggage. Bucky is afraid he'll explode like the Hulk, Pepper does not want her test results and Tony would just like some coffee without added motor oil, is that REALLY too much to ask for? Several slow burn pairings.
1. Prologue

_I do not own the Avengers' films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _This is the Avengers' version of Engineering geekout. I will take this out of the lab plenty as well - you'll see!_

 _TapTap_

Tony Stark groaned and rubbed his temple. Dumm-E had just dropped something onto his head. Something far too heavy for it to be comfortable. "Communal college, that's where you'll end up" Ironman threatened while he went off in the hunt for a clean rag to wipe off the blood from an admittedly small wound to keep it from running into his eyes. Head wounds always bled like crazy.

Half an hour later he sat by the kitchen table in the communal kitchen of the Avengers' Tower, trying to avoid listening to Pepper berate him/fuss and wincing as Bruce swiped something over his skin which stung.

"Can you not try to be at least a _little_ careful, Tony?" Pepper continued to tell him off, even though it hadn't been in the least his fault. Bruce was ignoring her much more effectively than Tony managed, what with his throbbing head, as he took care of the wound, finally telling Pepper in his mild-mannered way that he needed silence to determine if Tony had a concussion. Which, as it turned out, he had.

Luckily, as Tony tried to get up - way too fast - Steve was there to catch him, conveniently just having entered the kitchen. Naturally, Captain America then insisted to carry a grumbling Ironman up to the penthouse to keep him from falling again. It went without saying that Tony kept whining and insincerely flirting inappropriately the entire way.

All in all, a completely normal day in the Tower.


	2. The New Assistant

_As always, I have zero knowledge of the Avengers' films: this is basically post Ironman I and Thor I with some Avengers whose names I've snapped up from fanfiction tossed into the bunch!_

 _TapTap_

Afterwards, Tony was never able to pinpoint the exact cause and effect. Pepper had insisted on certain changes, after Dumm-E had dropped that wrench onto his head, but was it _because_ of the wrench, or something else entirely? Tony grudgingly admitted internally that when it came to Pepper, he simply had no idea.

Whatever the cause had been, the effect was simple. The effect, of whatever unknown thoughts Pepper kept in that crazy CEO head of hers, was a young blond engineer standing in Tony's kitchen one morning. By the time he actually woke up, moved out of his bed and finally walked into the kitchen, she was in fact sitting at his kitchen table, a large quantity of papers spread over the surface somewhat carelessly. Afterwards, Tony would wonder if that was the first thing which endeared her to him - her daring to be a bit of a mess.

Tony stopped dead in his tracks upon entering his kitchen, wondering if he had hallucinated her presence in his Tower. The woman sitting there was fairly young, with long hair flowing down her shoulders, brushing against the table and even her hipbone - at least now, when she was slightly bent over the table to check a paper some distance from the edge.

She looked vulnerable, Tony noted, more so than any one-night-stand of his would. Paradoxically, she also looked far more confident than most people he had in his life; perhaps Natasha, Bruce and Pepper aside. Confident in that rare, silent way which didn't radiate outwards, but merely seemed genuine, and was rock solid instead of a piece in a mask. She was also a few years younger than any one-night-stand of his who's presence he might have forgotten would be.

As Tony moved over to get himself some coffee, she obviously heard him and she looked up, looking just a bit startled. Perhaps it was she who had at least momentarily forgotten about his presence, this time. "Oh," she smiled at him. "I didn't see you there, Mr Stark. I am Claire Thomas - your new lab assistant."

Tony raised an eyebrow, looking her over with a sceptical eye. She did have a few things going for her. Firstly, she was dressed in denim trousers and a wide, sleeveless hoodie, with something green peeking out underneath; none of those silly little costumes people wore to seem more impressive. He knew a lot about people, too, and there was an unusual element of honesty about this one. There was something about her hands, too: they were worn somehow, as if she'd spent considerable time tinkering with something very recently. And then there was her eyes. Those clever blue eyes directed at him, a promise that maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to completely and fully _keep up_. At least enough to take over Dumm-E's job and be an improvement. Which was more than you could say about most people, frankly.

"Did Pepper send you?" She smiled slightly, nodding. "Yes. Miss Potts is concerned. She said to remind you that you need someone to help with your paperwork and documents in the lab. Also, that as your CEO, Miss Potts simply does not have the time to hound you about papers that needs signing... Sir." Tony saw the woman swallow.

He got the distinct impression that she was nervous not about his reputation or because of who he was, but completely uncaring of both those things. While his status or money did not seem to move her; something else made her outright nervous. She was a strange one, this girl. It made him curious. Probably what Pepper counted on, he was aware. He had resigned himself to just how well that woman knew him years ago.

"She also said to tell you, to pass on a message from her," Claire cut into his thoughts of how much he appreciated - and respected – Pepper, "'she's got small hands'." Tony found himself grinning at that statement, looking at her hands. They _were_ small, as a matter of fact. "So they are!"

To his surprise, the woman Pepper had sent to keep an eye on him did not seem to be confused at this response. "Got some very small components to put together or restricted space to work with, Sir?" At his look of astonishment at her deduction, she merely smiled and shrugged. "I am an engineer, Sir. I know my way around a a toolbox!"

* * *

Tony found himself just watching for the second time in an hour. Claire had taken to his workshop like a fish to water pretty much straight away. After an hour-long shouting match (away from Claire, thank you very much. He might be a bit reckless occasionally, but he wasn't a dick) with Pepper, he had resigned himself to his fate and started introducing his new lab-assistant to the bots.

Pepper had assured him that the young engineer would be more than capable to lend him a hand in the workshop, but his brand of science was hardly typical, and he had actually expected her to fall flat. What he had not expected, was for her to be genuinely helpful.

She was polite to JARVIS, understood any instruction more than quickly enough - she even got along with his bots. Not that they were all that difficult, but most people tended to either get alarmed by them, lose their patience or simply not understand them. Not Claire. She had started this habit of playing with Dumm-E when Tony didn't need her within fifteen minutes of first meeting the bot and hadn't even bat an eye when he'd asked her to stick an entire arm into the newest Ironman suit to pull out a lost wire. She really did have perfectly small hands.

Now they had spent the last eight hours in the lab, and he was starting to expect a Pepper-sponsored lecture on taking a break, eating, sleeping, any of those. Or more likely all of that stuff. She wasn't doing that, either. Now, Tony was a genius, and quite the apt reader of character, whatever people might think, and he was neither easily nor frequently surprised. This time though, he was. And the puzzle she was quickly starting to become to him intrigued him, in between the actual work he had to do, that was.

Tony waited for the protests to come for another four hours, and she did eventually start yawning, but she didn't start nagging even then. "If you do not need me more tonight, Sir, I will return tomorrow," she stated suddenly, appearing behind Dumm-E like she'd teleported into that spot. He had honestly thought that she was somewhere in the other side of the lab.

"What, no lecture from Pepper? Or high-handed concern for my wellfare?" He couldn't help but asking, some of his usual sass creeping into the question. She rolled her eyes. "You're a genius, almost twice my age. I'm sure you figured out your limits while I was in kindergarten. As for Pep- Miss Potts, it is not my job to nag you. My job is to file away your lab reports, bring you any papers you need to sign, lend you my smaller hands, and call for her if you set fire to anything important. Sir."

It was very telling about the mysterious presence of this girl that Tony did not make a dirty joke about what he'd like to borrow her hands for, but he didn't even think of it. Well, maybe for _one_ second, but that didn't count, surely?

Instead, Tony merely nodded, and stated, "This was a long day, take tomorrow off. I like to be alone in the lab sometimes Come back the day after tomorrow." This, Tony as sure, was when she'd object, tell him that it was her job to keep an eye on those potential fires. Anything, really. But she merely nodded, patted Dumm-E on his grip-claw as a goodbye and went towards the door. When she was almost there, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "What time, Sir?" Tony found himself smiling. "Any time. But I won't be up before noon. And it's Tony."

He was still smiling as he watched her leave the tower, JARVIS lending him eyes to do so. Pepper, he privately acknowledged, though he'd never do so out loud, had probably been right. Again. Claire Thomas might just be a wonderful lab-assistant. Maybe. He'd never tell Pepper that, though. Not, he knew, that it would be needed. He had absolutely no doubt that she already knew.


	3. Heartache and Loneliness

_This chapter contains heartache... times, like, a lot. Don't worry - it gets better. Eventually._

 _I still do not own the Avenger's films._

 _TapTap_

Peggy Carter was old. She did not even need the unquestionable evidence of her mirror to know so, she could feel the fact seeping into her very bones. She wasn't all that worried about it generally - she was well over ninety, and she had been there all the way through the war effort and rebuilding afterwards, had lived and loved. Now she was an old woman, yes, and she was pleased with the time she'd spent becoming one.

Once upon a time, when she had been so very much younger, she had loved Steve Rogers. Lord knows, she thought for herself, she _still_ loved the man, in more than one fashion. She had few regrets, and what regrets she had for the two of them, what they'd had to give up on, it was far too late to set to rights now. Indeed, those things had never been about _them_ _,_ had been all circumstance. Just a price they had to pay, like so many others did too, for the greater good in an impossible situation. She was glad she had lived long enough to see Steve again, but she was _not_ glad that she held him back.

Steve lived with Tony Stark and several others in the Avengers Tower, which was right where he belonged as far as she was concerned. Yet, he came to see her as often as three or four times a week, staying for hours at a time. Much as she enjoyed it, she hated that she kept him in the past. How was he meant to move on, to get a life of his own, if she kept him fettered to a life he had lost over seventy years ago?

* * *

Pepper Potts sighed over her desk. Tony and herself had lasted all of three seconds in a relationship together, and she really ought to have known better. She was happy with Natasha, like she'd never been with anyone before, but she worried about Tony still.

That was why she had snapped that brilliant, quirky young engineer named Claire Thomas right out of interviews for a standard replacement at SI when someone retired and offered her a tailored position with thrice the pay. It did not take away the guilt though. She would always take care of Tony, it was second nature by now, but she couldn't help but think that he needed somebody. He needed to not be second best, just for _somebody_ _._

No matter how many times she looked things over, how many opportunities to make better choises - and she found plenty, during the dark night before she started dating Natasha - she could never bring herself to regret their ill-advised romance, if it even was a romance. It was too close to regretting _Tony_ _,_ and that she could never do. She would be there for him, in the capacity she could, and she would hope it would be enough.

* * *

Bucky Barnes cursed and only just restricted himself from smashing his bathroom mirror. He felt increasingly like he was the Hulk, lately. He just wanted to _break_ something.

Out of all the horrid things Hydra did, one if the worst was taking away all of his options. He appreciated the care of all the people around him: how Stark could tinker with his arm for hours without causing pain even once, or how Bruce actually _asked_ him for his food preferences as he often cooked for all of them.

He liked his new teammates, and he loved life at the tower, but he hated how everyone stepped carefully around him. He hated how that felt like someone took away his freedom to choose, too _communicate_ , yet again. He didn't know how much more he could handle.

* * *

Clint hid in the vents. Natasha was busy with Pepper, Bruce was likely hiding somewhere, and Stark was working. It wasn't like most of them could understand, anyway. Maybe James Barnes could, but he still had a ways to go yet to get to talking. Clint hated how everyone from Natasha's new girlfriend to the damned driver treated him differently ever since the injury. He would heal eventually, if he didn't go mad first...

Taking a deep breath, Clint leant his head backwards against the cool metal of wherever in the Tower he found himself. Not, he suspected, too far from his room. His stamina in climbing was not even close to what it had been, _before_.

That was also unsusual - him not _knowing_. He had used to always know. He suspected it was the painkillers - few as those he had eventually accepted to take were - dulling his senses, making him even further useless than he was in the first place. He sighed once again and closed his eyes. Just a while more, just a little bit more of a break before he'd go back. Just a few more moments, hiding from the pity of people who had used to respect him.

* * *

Bruce sat in the Green-room Tony had made for him, breathing slowly and trying to suppress the Hulk. He usually had a better grip on it than this, but Rogers and Barnes had been shouting at each other, and... it got to him.

He did not know why, but it did. Looking at the supposedly calming blue walls, which only looked cold to him, Bruce Banner felt intensely alone. It was ironic that here, surrounded by people - perhaps the only people - who could possibly understand, he felt lonelier than in the midst of nowhere.

He should be talking to them. Allow Tony's enthusiasm and Barnes' understanding _warm_ him. He never spoke to Barnes about this sort of thing, had not done so even once, which might have been selfish. He could not even talk to Tony today, though that was usually easier. Even if they tended to stray to science-talk instead of anything deeper, they both _knew_. It helped, and it was usually reasonably easy. He happily spoke to Tony, most days, as long as it was nonsense or science. Tony, as it happened, was very good with both.


	4. I See You

_I am not Marvel and so claim to own nothing but my own OC and plot._

 _TapTap_

It was exactly seven minutes to noon as Claire stepped into the communal kitchen in Stark/The Avenger's Tower, and immediately started to make coffee. She had learned two days ago that it would be the first thing her boss went for, and she was here to make his life easier, after all. Or something like that.

She was abruptly pulled from what she was doing by a bang, and as she spun around in surprise she saw a man with longish, dark hair in the doorway, seemingly having dropped a cup in shock at her presence.

"You should not be here," he told her in no uncertain terms, voice cold. A minute movement on his part drew her eyes downwards, and she saw that one of his hands were metal. This must be lieutenant James Barnes, then.

Looking up again, she noted that he seemed even more agitated at her scrutiny. "Yes, that's right," he snapped out at her. "I am a dangerous monster. Now get out of here. I am sick of people whispering and hiding!"

"Let me be honest with you then," she turned around to flick the switch and turn the coffee maker on. "I am Mr Stark's new lab assistant, so yes, I am meant to be here. Now, are you safe for me to be around? "When she turned back, she saw his expression had changed entirely. Where he before had been aggressive, he now seemed almost relieved.

"Yeah," he said with a small smile. "Should be. You seem pretty harmless, so there should be nothing to set me off." "And if something happens? What should I do?" she asked, figuring that blunt, but not unkind, questions clearly were the way to go with this man. He didn't like unvoiced suspicion or to be threaded lightly around, she concluded. She had a feeling that if she'd become used to that sort of behaviour from people, she'd tire of it too.

The next second, he was pushing her up against the wall. Hasty as the action was, he wasn't actually being all that rough about it, and he didn't _hurt_ her or anything. By instinct, she went still, waiting for him to get over whatever it was which had disturbed him. To say that she was surprised to see him smile just then, would have been an understatement.

"Excellent," he complimented her, "you're a natural. Most people try to fight in a situation like that. That might make me hurt you without meaning to. If something ever startles me, just do exactly what you just did, and it'll be fine."

Claire was nodding, still pressed up against the wall though not as strongly, when there was a shout from behind James Barnes. " _Bucky_! Let go of her _right now_!" "It's alright, Steve," Barnes replied calmly, we were just..." he didn't get any further, until there was another shout. "Barnes! Unhand my lab assistant, _now_!" That was Tony - his voice she recognised, even though she couldn't see much over lieutenant Barnes' shoulder.

"Jesus," she said instead, making all three men look at her; Steve and Tony moving to be able to see her face. "What is with all the shouting?" She gently placed a hand at Barnes' back, having felt him tense at the loud sounds. He relaxed a little after a moment. "It cannot be easy having PTSD with you people around!"

Tony and Steve both looked shocked at her outburst, while James Barnes merely rested his head against the wall next to her, laughing. "No," he told her, humour in his voice, "no it isn't!" A moment later, he was moving to let her get away from the wall.

"And you can call me Bucky," he told her with a smile, actually winking before turning away. He then looked over to the large well-built blonde who had entered the kitchen before Tony. Claire guessed he must be Captain America. "This is my childhood friend, Steve Rogers. Steve, this is..." he frowned as he realised he did not know her name.

"Claire Thomas," she supplied, reaching out to take the hand Steve Rogers was already offering. "I am Mr Stark's lab assistant." "Tony!" said man cut in, his tone implying he was very near the end of his patience. "And what on earth happened here?!" Smiling and reaching for a cup, which she filled with coffee and handed over to her boss, making him look a little bit less grumpy, Claire merely shugged. "Just a private conversation; nothing you need to worry about, Sir... Tony."

As she turned around, she noticed Bucky watching her with a warm expression, clearly appreciating that she didn't let them snoop too much. She had a feeling that the man was sick and tired of being watched, of being endlessly cared for by people who were afraid anything might set him off. She resolved to treat him honestly and without worrying too much. After all, he seemed nice enough to her.

* * *

Bucky could not think of one single person who had ever surprised him this much. As that small, blond girl who held her shoulders in a way which made her look vulnerable, handed him a coffee cup with a friendly smile and poured another one for Steve, he could still not believe what her reaction had been.

Most people - possibly with the exception of Stark, and the man was known for his bluntness (not to say insanity) - tended to talk in endless circles around any question which was actually important. So many, even here in the tower, avoided or feared him. It was obvious that she knew who he was - he had caught her looking at his metal hand with those large eyes of hers, after all - but she treated him exactly like... well, like you would treat _anyone_.

Some people did that, of course. Talked to him like he was just any other person. Those people often poorly hid fear, though, and they never actually got to the heart of what mattered. Merely ignoring any issues didn't make them go away, and none of them had ever asked him honest questions like she did. As she waved goodbye to follow Tony down into the lab, still smiling, Bucky found himself smiling back effortlessly.

"Are you alright? Bucky?" Nodding and cupping the coffee cup with his normal hand, Bucky leaned into the strong, warm shoulder offered by Steve. Smiling again as his best friend - more than that, lately, though they had yet to actually _talk_ about it - gently kissed him on the head.

"Pepper seems to have outdone herself this time," Steve noted as they separated to start and make breakfast, just like they did every morning. "That girl might actually manage to keep up with Stark. Did she seem a little... fragile to you, though? What were you two doing?"

"She seems strong, to me. But damaged, somehow," Bucky replied, reaching in and grabbing some bacon from the fridge. "And honest. I liked her." While they continued to cook together, Bucky told Steve the whole story of what had happened that morning, complete with his own surprise at her reactions and his own reckless experiment.

"She sounds interesting," Steve agreed, just as Bruce Banner entered the kitchen. "Yeah. I look forward to getting to know her," Bucky agreed, adding in an explanatory way to the reserved Dr Banner. "Tony's new lab assistant. She's a bit... special. In a _good_ way."

"Lucky for her," Bruce noted with a slight smile in the direction of the two of them, "Tony is _very_ special". Bucky smiled: he liked Doctor Banner. "Yeah," he agreed, turning to watch Steve flip pancakes - he had always loved watching him do that, even back in the sixties. "Best of luck to her."


	5. I Don't Want This To End

_I still do not own the Avenger's films - Nor have I seen them... still. I have been busy! I have seen Thor 2 now though!_ _I am working my way through them - slowly._

 _TapTap_

"Whoa, Steve, should I be jealous?" Bucky chuckled at the sheepish face of his best friend. Steve Rogers entered the room with a slight smile, carrying what Bucky judged to be approximately 50 kilograms of mechanical engineer.

"She had fallen asleep in the workshop, and Tony was about to blast AC/DC at full volume down there. I thought I'd better move her somewhere she wouldn't be waking with a massive crick in her neck, either." Bucky chuckled as he went to open the door to one of the small guest rooms on the communal floors for Steve. "Probably a good idea. He really needs a better couch in there if he's going to keep an actual human being in there with him for so long." He ignored Steve's "be nice" glance in his direction and pulled the comforter away for him to lay her down. Removing her shoes, they then tucked her in with it and left before this could be considered less helpful and more creepy.

After that, they returned to their film, forgetting about the occurence (perhaps they were a bit too used to having to manhandle Tony into bed being a regular thing) as they went up to their own floor.

It was at six am, when they were in the kitchen cooking breakfast, that they were reminded by a loud curse from her guest room. While Steve raised an eyebrow, Bucky chuckled. "She really has been spending quite a lot of time with Stark!" His friend merely snorted.

It was another minute or so before Claire Tomas emerged from the guest room, looking very wary. She relaxed a miniscule amount at seeing where she was, as if she hadn't known before. "Good morning!" Steve greeted her, making Bucky roll his eyes at how cheerful he sounded. Typical Steve. "Good morning... how did I end up in there?" She asked, voice somewhat doubtful. "You fell asleep in Tony's lab, so Steve carried you upwards. We removed your shoes and got you a duvet, hope you don't mind," Bucky told her before his old friend could tangle himself up in a too long explanation, returning to his coffee.

"Oh," she relaxed visibly at that, then seemed to register the scene in front of her. "Oh! I didn't mean to intrude or any..." "You're not," Bucky assured her. "Natasha stayed over at Pepper's place yesterday, otherwise she would be here, too. The others are rarely awake this early, but it happens. Tony will appear and demand coffee after his all-nighter any minute, you'll see!"

Laughing, she came forwards, accepting Steve's offer of some pancakes gracefully, and sat down next to Bucky, allowing him to pull out a chair for her without remarking anything about their old-fashion manners. It was encouraging to think that maybe, she didn't mind it.

"So, how's working with Tony?" Bucky asked, making Steve pause with pouring milk into his glass. "Great, actually. It is engineering at a level I have never seen before, of course," she bit her lip, before seemingly coming to a decision and adding, "he's never condecending, either. It is suprisingly common that people don't think a 'blond little girl' can be a decent engineer. Sure, he dumbs things down a bit too much sometimes, but that's probably just because he always has to simplify a little bit no matter _who_ he talks to". "Probably," Bucky agreed, grinning across the table to Steve, "he's not driving you crazy, then?" She shook her head with a slight grin "No. I don't mind his... eccentricities."

"Well that's great, mini-me, because I am about to be very eccentric!" And that, that was what announced the arrival of Tony Stark for breakfast. They were too used to it to even mind, any more, though he could have done with a shower.

* * *

Pepper looked at the search tab and blanched. It felt like the room spinned even more than it already had. She had not been feeling well, not for several weeks now, and had finally summoned up the courage to do a medical search online. Which, of course, you should never do, but this time, she felt it was warranted.

After dismissing a few outrageous (and impossible: she was completely certain she was neither malnourished nor had scurvy, for one) options the answer was staring her right in the face.

Taking a few slow breaths, Pepper Potts closed her eyes for a few moments, opening them again with sheer force of will. It was an online search, not a test result. She was CEO of Stark industries, not a quitter, and she would get through this. It might not feel like it at the moment, but she _would_ , she told herself. It did not feel real, and perhaps it wasn't.

She would need a medical appointment. She didn't want one. Now, someone less responsible, more like Tony, would summon courage, take a few days. Pepper wanted to do that, too. She knew that she couldn't. She had _responsibilities_. She would need all the time she could possibly get to plan if she was really right: Stark Industries would need all the preparation she could give it.

And Natasha. Oh, Natasha. She was finally happy with Natasha, who had already lost so much... and she would _know_. Of course she would, just from Pepper's voice or face, or _anything_ , that something was very wrong. Oh, what was she going to _do_?

Stop fussing. Was the immediate answer her brain supplied. Get a medical appointment, get your facts. Plan. Get yourself together and just _do_ it. Well, that sounded about right.

With that, Virginia Potts rose, got her jacket and closed down the search field which screamed out in its black letters: Brain tumor.

 _Turns out, I spell "eccentricities" in a very eccentric way, but who needs to be able to spell that word anyway?_

 _Don't panic!_

 _TapTap_


	6. Engine Oil Is For Bots, Not Humans

_I do not own anything which would make me MARVEL, as I am not, in fact, Marvel. (I have no idea which of those spellings is correct.)_

 _ **Important note:**_ _I would like to take this opportunity to address the fact that it from this chapter on (some of you might have picked up on it already) it will become increasingly obvious that Claire has been through some bad things before in her life. I would just like to reassure you all that this is_ _ **not**_ _an abuse story, and whatever she has been through, it is not to do with major physical or any kind of sexual abuse. Answers to what have happened will come later on and if anyone is worried about potential triggers, I will be more than happy to answer questions in pms. Thank you for your attention._

 _TapTap_

Bucky really, really, really, did not want to have this conversation. He knew that it was no longer the forties, and the world had changed, but some things were the same. The stakes might be lower in some perspectives, but this could still be a talk which could ruin absolutely everything. Unfortunately, he had avoided Steve since breakfast, not to mention that he had wanted to talk for days now. If he didn't cave soon, he would ruin things anyway. So with some regret and deep resignation, James Buchanan Barnes sat down alone, letting himself be caught. He did not look forward to this.

Just as he had expected, it took less than fifteen minutes before Steve entered the room, freshly showered enough for his hair to be slightly damp. He looked gorgeous, and _so damned tempting_.

With everything he had gone through since becoming the winter soldier, Bucky had completely let go of all the silly preconceived notions of their age: but beyond that they had hugged an awful lot since he'd been back, he didn't truly know what Steve thought of all of that. It was beyond possible, he supposed, that Steve had just been being friendly, taking care of him in turn. He sure hoped not.

"Bucky?" Steve sounded nervous, which was both a good or a bad thing. Bucky never wanted to see his best friend (and more, hopefully. _Please_?) in pain, but at the same time, his nerves were a little encouraging. It meant the stakes were high for him as well, surely? The again, maybe Steve was just afraid for their friendship... oh this was torture.

* * *

The medical appointment was set for in four days time. Pepper was sure that with some dedication, she could have gotten one sooner, but she really did not want to. Four days meant more time when this was just fanciful imaginings, the result of an ill-advised internet search, when everything was still _normal_. She felt a little sick, that was all. Alright, she felt _very_ sick, but until she got any sort of medical opinion, it could all just be the flu. Actually, that was probably it. Ludicrous, worrying like this, truly...

Except, she did not really believe that, and this meant four extra days of Natasha looking at her, knowing she was lying about something. With a deep, tired sigh, the pale Pepper Potts reached out a hand which was only lightly shaking, and picked up her phone to try and get an earlier appointment. One more evening avoiding her girlfriend's questions was just about all she could take.

Dialing the number to her doctor, she could only hope that she could get some answers, and that she would be able to live with them. She tried not to understand, that she might not _have_ to.

* * *

Claire looked on at the heart wrenching sight for all of a minute before she decided she had to do something about this. Dumm-E was rolling around Tony's workshop beeping sadly, all the while returning to the sink where Tony had poured out the coffee his bot had made for him.

The master engineer had gone up to the lab with Bruce to work on something, but she had stayed behind. "Dumm-E?" Gently, the young engineer patted the hurt bot on the grip claw, attempting to explain. "Tony likes your coffee, Dumm-E, you know that. Better than anyone else's. But engine oil is toxic to humans, just like mixing rust in something for you would hurt you." The bot seemed to shudder, bent its grip claw down and, if possible, seemed even more disheartened.

"Would you like me to help you?" She offered. "We could easily clean the coffee pot out, you know. And I could show you how to make coffee for him without adding the engine oil. Would you like that?" The bot's "head" came up at that, but it gave another sad succession of beeps in reply.

"Oh don't worry," Claire assured the bot, not knowing herself how she could understand the sentiment of the nonsense sounds so easily, but she did, "humans can smell oil pretty well, and Jarvis can tell, too. Tony didn't drink it, I am sure he is just fine. Come on, let's go clean up some oil coffee!"

Claire couldn't help smiling widely as this made the bot race accross the floor with new-found enthusiasm and sheer energy. This was going to be fun.

So it was that Bruce and Tony entered the workshop an hour or so after leaving, greeted by the sight of Dumm-E making coffee in a newly cleaned out pot, assisted by a laughing engineer who had powder which must be ground coffee beans in her long, loose hair.

* * *

"You know I like you, Steve," Bucky answered his friend's question, only to cringe internally at how bad it sounded. Wow, Barnes, he thought sarcastically. Real smooth!

"I... had rather thought it was more than that," he could see Steve cringe lightly, "that you felt more than that." Something about Steve's sheepish expression was just impossible to resist, and Bucky nodded, staring at a speck on the wall somewhat to the right of Steve's left ear. "Yeah," he admitted. "I do."

He finally looked over to meet Steve's eyes, seeing his eyes lit with something warm, only to be greeted with a smile as Steve saw him finally looking at him. "It is for me too. More," he admitted easily, though still apparently full with nerves. It was Bucky who took the next step forward, gently Eskimo kissing his best friend. He felt the tension go out of Steve's shoulders in a moment.

And, just like that; that was that. It was one of the biggest anti-climaxes in Bucky's entire life. He didn't even stop smiling forty-five minutes later when Natasha broke up their lazy cuddling and occasional kissing session by tossing a pillow at them, _hard_. Turns out, sometimes things were just as simple as they could feel like, cooking together early in the morning.


	7. No One Here Has people Skills

_This doesn't belong to me, it isn't mine... except my own stuff that's in here. That's mine. Nothing of what you recognise from Marvel._

 _TapTap_

Dinner with the Avengers was not exactly a peaceful affair, but it felt peaceful to Claire. Lieutenant Barnes and Captain Rogers were sitting close to one another, looking suspiciously like they'd just gotten together. She had been sure when she first saw them that they'd been a couple already. She put that off to how she was clearly better with mechanics than she was with people.

The low-key but obvious handholding of the two soldiers elicited very different reactions around the table. Doctor Banner was smiling for himself as he dished out curry for the rest of them, while Hawkeye was making a series of barf noises when the two got too affectionate. Stark seemed more amused than anything, but she had seen him with his bots enough to recognise his secret protectiveness and the pleasure the man took in those he cared about being happy when she saw it.

What was unexpected was the Black Widow's response to the sweet little scene. She seemed worried about something; and looking at the happy pair only seemed to make it worse. She was visibly disturbed - and she wasn't one to give her emotion away easily - when Rogers asked halfway through the meal, "Isn't Pepper coming over today?"

"Nope. Said something about being busy with work," Stark shrugged, seemingly not bothered by this at all, which was not even remotey the case with the most unflappable person out of all of them. Something was very wrong.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?" Banner leant against the wall. This space was one that they all shared: a little reading room on the communal floor. He and Natasha were the only two people there.

With a sigh, Natasha did indeed share. "Something is wrong with Pepper." She would not have said anything, not to most people, but she trusted Doctor Banner, _and_ his ability to keep secrets if needed.

Bruce did not ask how she knew that: master spy, and all that. He just moved over to sit next to her in the soft silence, and then waited for her to speak again.

"She didn't just not come over tonight. Tony didn't pick up on her tone when she called him, obviously, but when she spoke to me... something is really wrong, and she's _scared_. But she will not confide in me." "And that makes you think a whole lot of other things might be wrong, too," he concluded.

"Yes. I am not good with relationships. I never had any, not unless they were for work!" Natasha said with a slight hitch to her voice. Bruce reached out a hand and pulled her closer, into a hug. "I am sure Pepper knew that from the start and wanted you anyway. I am positive she still does. It could be anything, Natasha. Maybe she..." "You come up with nothing? Thanks for trying," Natasha said in a low voice when nothing more was forthcoming.

Bruce laughed. "She might have spotted any problem, _anything_ , and simply not wanting to bother anyone with it and make them worry, instead spending the evening at the office, sorting it out. It isn't as if it would be a first."

"That would still mean she didn't trust me," Natasha pointed out, only to get a headshake from Bruce in return. "No, it doesn't. Not trusting someone and wanting to protect them is not the same thing. She is fierce in an entirely different way from yours. Let _her_ take care of _you_ sometimes. Or at least give her the benefit of the doubt. She might just not be able to stand the thought of talking with Tony for the third time today." Natasha might have smiled at that, if she was the type for it. They both knew that the made-up reason was nonsense, of course, but it did make her feel a tiny bit better.

* * *

"This... never used to be this awkward." Bucky laughed awkwardly, only to get a similarly bothered look in return from Steve. They shared a floor in the tower, but they had separate bedrooms. Tonight, though, having decided they were a pair and everything, they had decided to share. Was it always this awkward, or just the first time?

"No... but it was only about warmth or lack of space back then... I guess this is different?" Steve speculated, watching the softly blue sheets with impossibly high tread counts warily as if they might bite him unless he was careful.

"This is silly. We are being silly," Bucky finally decided, after they had been awkwardly just standing there for almost a minute. "Let's get in bed. It's not like it is going to bite or anything."

"Probably not," Steve agreed, cautiously getting in, biting his lip and just looking so utterly _kissable_ even in his nervous state. Bucky climbed into bed beside him, curling up against Steve's body, for a brief second afraid of rejection as Steve tensed initially.

After a moment, though, Steve settled against the pillows with a contented sigh; gathering Bucky into his arms, seemingly uncaring that one of his arms was metal and very hard as well as cool to the touch.

"We need more practise at this," Bucky noted, resting his head on Steve's chest, "we are rubbish at it." "We seem to be doing well, to me," Steve responded, trying and failing to hide a yawn. They settled in under the covers with a few soft words, pulling the covers up and tucking each other in, before hands sneaked under the t-shirts they were wearing along with their pyjama bottoms even though they never used to.

By the time they fell asleep their legs were tangled, Bucky's metal fingers were resting on Steve's hip - under the t-shirt but the two fingers reaching that far resting on top of the fabric of the pyjama bottoms - with the fingers of his flesh hand tangled comfortably into Steve's short, blond hair. Steve had one arm around Bucky, hand at the small of his back, sneaked into his t-shirt from down the hem, and the other was cupping his friend's shoulder and neck. That hand, had instead edged in under the t-shirt by the neck.

Neither one of them dared to suggest that they could remove their t-shirts, even though they really didn't need them for warmth, but Bucky was right: they needed to practise this. It seemed, though, that Steve was just as observant, and just as right: they really were doing well, _together_.


	8. Dumm-E Makes Fantastic Coffee

_If anyone is interested, I am writing a Doctor Strange film fix-it as well as a Doctor Strange/Sherlock/Doctor Who Advent story. Just thought I'd mention it - especially since that last one has more Tony!_

 _No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me, I am just making you some free publicity. I do not own anything from AC/DC either - just publicising a bit for you guys!_

 _Warnings for slight mentions of medical things and a bit of use of the h word._

 _TapTap_

Tony puttered around the lab. He'd given Claire the day off - keeping track of her hours was the last thing he was focused on, but he had decided he had definitely seen her around for too long. If he let her overwork too much, Pepper would definitely have his head. "I'll have to ask Claire if she can take on the job of being her boss," he told Dumm-E. Pepper would give him a "look" at that kind of thinking, but from what he'd seen so far, Claire might just refrain.

He had argued with Pepper about his new lab assistant at first, but he had to admit that Claire was a brilliant help around the workshop. Like Bruce, she followed what happened in his head at least sometimes, and she really was a very innovative engineer. Not his level, nope, nor his or Brucie's level of intellect, hell no, but still _very_ clever and full of ideas that actually _was_ at his level.

As he pondered that, Dumm-E, after being addressed, had promptly buzzed off in the direction of the coffee pot Tony kept down here. Now, the eager bot came whirring back, offering Tony a cup. Indulgently, the master engineer/inventor took the cup, surprised to only smell a delicious roast, not even a whiff of motor oil. "Jarvis?" He questioned. "It is perfectly drinkable, Sir," came the reply, so he took a cautious sip, only for his eyes to widen in surprise. Not just drinkable, this coffee was _fantastic_.

"Very good," was all he said, giving the pleased bot a pat on the gripping claw, making him even more pleased. With a pleased smile of his own, Tony settled in to work, humming for himself and convincing Jarvis to blast AC/DC all over the place.

* * *

Pepper sat in the examination room, staring down at her hands. They'd taken a number of tests, and she would probably need to wait for results a few days at least and... "Miss Potts?" She looked up to see her doctor, a woman her own age with chocolate skin and a lovely smile. "We have some preliminary results, but I would like to do one more thing to confirm."

"Already? Don't you need lab time and..." Pepper bit her lip. "Normally," the doctor smiled as they rolled in a device alongside her, the technician doing so promptly leaving again. "But even a brief glance at your values is pretty telling, so I think we can go ahead and guess. An ultrasound test will confirm it, but..." they used that on tumours, didn't they, Pepper suddenly recalled, apart from the _obvious_ use. "My professional opinion is that you're pregnant, probably as late as the fourth month. Have you not noticed the signs? Most women who feel sick connect the dots pretty quickly - while throwing up is absolutely a sign of brain tumours, it is mostly men who reach that conclusion."

Pepper's head spun, and she shook it, very, very slowly not to feel even more sick. "I am in a relationship with another woman, I... I never thought..."

* * *

"Yes, look, that'd be her little feet," the doctor assured Pepper as they looked at the foetus together. At Pepper's stricken - happy in a way, but stricken - look, she looked sympathetic. "Will this cause problems with the girlfriend?" Pepper shook her head. "No... we, we've only been together for three months, and I know it is _not_ from then." It felt very important to point that out. While she was not sure _why_ , not to the doctor, it still _did_.

"Well, this baby is definitely much older than that. Month five, I'd say," the Doctor assured her. "Five... that was when I broke up with Tony..." Pepper thought out loud. "We hadn't been intimate, hell, we hadn't been on the same _continent_ , for months! That's why I didn't think..." she suddenly blushed, remembering their half-finished attempt at connecting that evening, before she left and Tony got blinding drunk. He probably wouldn't even _remember_.

"Remembering now?" The doctor smiled, finishing checking up on the baby. "Yes. Break up sex. I've tried not to think of that evening for months," Pepper admitted, feeling both sheepish and foolish. She was looking at the doctor cleaning the gear to distract herself as they talked, and that was why she saw her make the connection.

"Will your girlfriend understand?" The doctor made small talk, probably sensing how much she needed it. "Yes. She's an Avenger, so it was always I who were going to carry a child anyway. Hopefully we can make it work." "An Aveng... You are...!" Between her name, the use of the name "Tony", the stories doubtlessly plastered over every gossip magazine a few months ago as well as those about her and Natasha _now_ , it was no wonder it hit her. The doctor froze and stared for one heartbeat, then she made a self-deprecating smile and, quickly regaining professionalism, ended the line of thought with, "Well, at least then he can affort to pay child support."

Pepper laughed. She couldn't help it. All the tension building up over the weeks, the fear, and now this. "Oh, Tony won't be difficult. Everyone and everything else might be, but he is actually a really nice guy, beneath it all. He's not the one I worry about." Kindly, the doctor smiled at her before she wrote out the paperwork Pepper would need.

Seven minutes later, Pepper left the doctor's office, the folder with images of her unborn daughter clutched in her hand. Even aside from her relief, they made her very _happy_. She wanted a baby, well maybe not exactly _now_ , but they didn't come when you expected them to. They came when they did. Now, it was just a matter of telling Natasha, and Tony. She was much more worried about telling Natasha.


	9. Everyone Loves Claire

_I do not own... stuff that Marvel owns._

 _TapTap_

Pepper came straight to Stark Tower after work. She knew she had to talk to Natasha. And to Tony. And probably, if she was realistic, to everyone else resident there. She was honestly, truly happy to be a mother. It was all the rest of it which she dreaded.

She wasn't scared of what Tony would do. Different from what the tabloids would guess, she was positive he would want to be a part of their baby's life, but she was also sure he wouldn't try to push. No, she was not afraid of Tony.

She was terrified of Natasha's reaction. She didn't think she would be angry, but she wasn't sure. She was quite certain Natasha wanted children, but would it matter that it was this way? Natasha and Tony always seemed to get along surprisingly effortlessly, but that did in no way mean she wanted to raise his child. _With_ him, to top it of.

How did you breach a subject such as this, anyway? Where did you start? Well, maybe she'd do the crass thing and have Jarvis leave a succinct message to Tony. Though that thought made her smile, she knew she couldn't do that. She had been behaving strangely, as well, and she needed to address that, too. No part of this was going to be easy.

* * *

Tony was working in his workshop. Or, he _tried_ to work. During the course of the afternoon, it seemed every Avenger in the country had migrated into his workshop; making any sort of focus unattainable, as they were all insisting on conversation. He pretended to hate it, and on a busy day, he might. As it was, he had finished five new prototypes yesterday and was perfectly happy to _look_ busy and talk with his fellow Avengers.

Natasha was still silent and brooding, worrying about Pepper. He had also started to worry about Pepper, truth be told. He was holding off from checking her internet history, at least for now. He had little doubt he'd hack it eventually, but for now he was holding firm. He did worry about her though.

He was probably not the only one, not after the last few days of Pepper avoiding all of them, so that might be the explanation to the lab suddenly being silent as Pepper entered. She looked a bit resigned at finding all of them there, but decided. Even Tony could see that she was a woman with news. And no matter what people might think, but he did know people, only not as well as he did machines. Because of that, he also saw that she was a woman who had kept a terrible secret, and now wanted to get something off her chest. There was something which might be profound relief, as well, but in the circumstances, that only made him _more_ nervous, not less.

"Pepper?" He asked encouragingly, frowning as she merely stood there, looking at them. As if his voice had boken a spell, she stepped forward. "I have something to tell you all. Well, mostly Tony and Tasha," she amended, "but it somewhat concerns all of you, so maybe it is better that you're all here."

"Ae you alright, Pepper?" Banner and Steve asked at the same time. "Well, I wasn't. I mean, I was afraid that..." Suddenly, Pepper was smiling. "I had a doctor's appointment this morning - I have been feeling poorly, and I feared I might be ill." Tony turned his head at the gasp that came from Natasha at those words. It was very unusual for her to react so strongly, and to show it at that. Pepper turned to her as well and gave her a guilty smile. Tony had a lot of experience with those, so he could more than recognise it.

"I am fine, I promise... but... I am so sorry Tasha!" She bit her lip, looking down. It was not normal behaviour for Pepper in any way, and they all stood frozen, lost for words. It was Steven who finally touched her arm gently. "Pepper? Are you alright? What happened?"

Still looking into the floor, Pepper admitted, because there was no good way to say this. "I am pregnant. With Tony's baby."

Tony felt his stomach drop into his shoes at that statement. Not because he didn't _want_ to have a baby with Pepper, but because of _everything else_. "What?! We haven't had sex in like... a year! Well, six months, at _least_! You'd be able to _tell_! Or, have _had_ the baby or... _something_!"

"Well, you wouldn't remember," Pepper's smile was very bleak. "It was the night we broke up. You got very drunk not an hour afterwards... I am in month five."

"Oh, okay," Tony blinked, but he did not doubt Pepper. And he had gotten so drunk that night that he didn't even remember what he'd had for lunch. "Well, not that I wouldn't love being your baby daddy, but... you and Natasha - I won't get in your way."

"It is your baby," Natasha's voice was mechanic, "if you two wanted to try again I would not get in your way." Pepper looked as if she was about to be sick at this, and was entirely silent. Her despair at this situation couldn't have been clearer. Nobody had anything they felt they could say. Everyone jumped as a spanner suddenly landed heavily on Tony's work bench. As they turned around, many with superhuman relexes, they caught Claire rolling her eyes.

"Seriously?! There is nothing _wrong_ with traditional, but why do people insist on it in cases where it _will not work_?! Pepper," she turned to the CEO, "you liked it here in Stark Tower, didn't you? You could live here again?" "Well, yes, I suppose," Pepper conceded. "So, move in here, there's an empty floor next to Natasha's, right?" She looked to Tony, who nodded. "Right. Both of them, in fact," he confirmed.

"Right," Claire continued. "Then have a kids' room at Pepper's floor eventually, and for now put a nursery at the common floor and move the moses basket for the baby to whomever will be up at that night and make sure he or she sleeps! I mean Pepper is the only real parent material here, and there's a lot of prospective aunts and uncles available!" So what if there's three parents? I dare say the baby won't care!"

It was hard to say who looked the most relieved; Pepper or Natasha. And then it was impossible to say who looked the most delighted; Natasha or Tony. They spoke at the same time, Tony saying, "Month five, then there's pictures, right?" and Natasha asking, "Do you know yet if we will have a daughter or son?" At that point, Pepper finally looked happy, too. It was Dumm-E who was the first to beep a heartfelt thanks to Claire.


	10. Dumm-E Is A Terrible Influence

_No copyright infringement is intended. This is just some indulgence into (over-)entusiastic Tony Stark on my part... Also eager bots. I love the bots._

 _TapTap_

Claire patiently sat on a very high chair by her (as she'd started to suspect, insane) boss' work bench, down in the workshop. She smiled to herself at the image of Dumm-E bringing his boss coffee for at least the twentieth time, and simultaneously shook her head. The last thing Tony Stark really needed right now was more coffee.

Everyone seemed to have reacted to Pepper's baby news in different ways. Some of them were surprising, and most of them were certainly not.

Tony Stark had started immediately at designing a joint apartment for Natasha and Pepper, including an office for Pepper (she would likely need it during her last few months of pregnancy, not to mention when breastfeading and thus needing to stay closer to home occasionally) and a kid's room. Not to mention the nursery and all the other things he was designing - Claire had utterly lost count within the hour.

Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers had - somewhat productively, it must be admitted - immediately gotten started on childproofing the Tower, making lists and checking things up in parenting guides, so that it would all be perfect and ready in a few months.

Hawkeye had started to bug everyone about how their weapons needed to be out of reach, prompting Tony to make a few early drafts on good safe storage which children couldn't get into. Everyone had abandoned the question at that point - if he could keep the Hulk contained at will, he could make some guns and a frankly unnecessarily large collection of knives (it belonged almost exclusively to Bucky and Natasha, which surprised nobody) out of the grasp of a toddler.

Bruce Banner had started nutrition research on the subject of pregnant women and small children, as well as sharply telling Tony to childproof the elevators and the lab doors. Jarvis had reminded everyone at that point that he would never open doors for the child to get in anywhere dangerous. No one knew what research or what manner of preparations he was currently doing, but no one doubted that he was getting ready.

Pepper had given up a sigh of relief and started to pick out things she wanted for the baby, parked in the sofa in front of the television with a tub of ice cream and her high heels chucked away in a corner.

Most of these reactions were, Claire admitted silently for herself, rather predictable. Even Dumm-E's excitement, expressed in fuelling Tony's mad inventing streak with lots and lots of coffee, could be guessed at easily. Natasha, however, was making up for all the other non-surprising reactions with one that no one had expected.

She was sitting silently in the kitchen, looking over the pictures Pepper had brought of their (and Tony's) baby girl, over and over again without speaking. Clint, who knew her well, had in a surprising attack of emotional insight shooed the others out of the room, telling them to let her be. If she was crying a tear or two, presented with something she thought she could never have after injuries she suffered in her traumatic past, Jarvis certainly wasn't telling. And if Claire checked on her as she made them all some food (with generous help from Jarvis) she did not tell on her either. She could only too well understand the pain of not belonging and the overwhelming sensation of finally acquiring something you really wished for, but thought was out of your reach, and she sympathised. Maybe, it would all be alright, sometime in the future. For all of them.


	11. Claire Is Not Allowed To Work In Peace

_No copyright infringement is intended. Only fluff is intended._

 _TapTap_

Claire was in the middle of writing out sums for Tony's lab materials - the inventor himself having finally headed off to bed some time ago after a solid three-day-inventing spree - when Captain Rogers entered the workshop; knocking carefully on the door-frame to the open door so as not to startle her. For all his bulk, the super-soldier could be impressively silent, and Bucky and Natasha had both noticed how the young engineer startled easily.

"Miss Thomas?" He began, and she looked up, smiling at him. "It is Claire, please, Captain Rogers." "Then I am Steve." She nodded in confirmation. "What can I do for you, Steve?" She looked him over: he was dressed in a casual button-up and jeans, however; there were a few details, such as the messenger bag slung over his shoulder, which implicated he was heading somewhere special. "Were you going somewhere?" He looked taken back for a moment, then he nodded.

"Yes, well, I am heading to see Peggy, but I still have some time, and I wished to talk to you first." She nodded in response, putting her pencil down and giving him all her attention.

"I wanted to thank you," the national icon continued with a slight smile, "for being so kind to Bucky. It means a lot to us both." She smiled in response but shrugged. "He didn't do anything to warrant anything else. Everyone has a past, and we all have our demons. Most people do not change, but that does in no way negate that some of us _do_. And most of the worst decisions of his life, were not even _decided_ by him. I cannot hold it against him that someone else made him a victim, and nor should anyone else."

Steve had to blink at her insight, and he nodded slowly. It had taken them all a lot of time to come to that point, which she seemed to have reached almost effortlessly. That was when he knew, for sure, that there really was a lot more to Claire Thomas than any of them had first thought. Tony was lucky that Pepper had fount her for him, and something told Steve as he excited the lab to go see Peggy once more, that they all might have been.

* * *

Bruce found himself frustrated. Tony's new assistant had avoided him the few times they'd ever come into contact. Now, this would normally not bother him - a lot of people reacted that way, after all, and it took rather a lot for him to become annoyed, these days (a lot of practise with keeping your cool did that for you) - but she had taken him off guard with it. She showed absolutely no reluctance to be around Barnes - in fact, she treated him exactly like she treated Steve. Super soldier like super soldier, apparently. Despite that, she avoided him carefully, so carefully that it could not be an accident.

Bruce had tried to forget about it - the last thing he wanted was conflict, in any situation - but it rankled that she was alright with Barnes, kind to Natasha, and didn't even flinch at Tony's humour; and yet she never spoke a word to him unprompted, though he had never done anything to her.

Forcing himself to be _calm_ and knowing that Tony would have headed up to bed by now, he hoped to catch her alone in the workshop. There was a lot of heavy things she could put between them down there, after all, and so they could hopefully have a talk without him spooking her. It was only when he had already headed in though the door that he realised that it could be interpreted the exact opposite way, too, to confront her alone down there. Well, she had already seen him, so too late now.

Once again, she took him by surprise, looking up from her paperwork with a small smile and greeting him graciously. "Doctor Banner! I am afraid Tony is not here - he headed to bed about an hour ago."

"I know. I was actually hoping to speak to you," Bruce stated carefully, watching her reaction. To his continuous surprise, there was none: just some polite curiosity, and was that concern?

"Of course. Wait a moment." She looked back down to her paper, added something and then put it in what must be the "completed" pile, laying the pencil down and focusing her entire attention on him. "What did you want to talk about, Doctor Banner?" She gestured for him to sit, and he took a seat opposite her at the long bench.

Choosing his words well, Bruce clasped his hands and spoke, softly, doing his very best not to be intimidating in any way (though this might be sheer paranoia on his part, as she regularly survived _Tony_ , and there was unlikely to be anything in his _demeanour_ which could even begin to scare her). "You have seemed... reluctant, to be around me when I have worked beside Tony. I was wondering, well, if the Hulk scares you? I can assure you he is unlikely to attack an innocent bystander without provocation."

"Oh," she blinked, "well, he is not an... entity, who I would want to upset in any way, no. I have not seen any indications that he'd get upset at a fellow scientist who just does science, though, so I wouldn't say that I am scared, exactly. I mean," she gave him a warm, soft smile, "if he doesn't... whatever it is that he does, about Tony, then why would _I_ provoke any type of response? I must say that I had simply assumed that, well, you knew what you were doing. I did not want to crowd you, though, that is true. As much because of the Hulk as because..." she actually blushed, looking down. "Well, you seemed... shy, and I did not want to make you uncomfortable. If I can do anything to help, though, with, you know... not being unnecessarily provoking, do let me know."

This time, it was Bruce's turn to blink in confusion, before he slowly smiled. "You know, miss Thomas, James Barnes told me that you were good with being honest and forthcoming: I like that as much as he does. And I shall tell you, if I ever need your help. With Tony around, one never knows!" As she smiled back at the slight joke, Bruce found that he had suddenly no worries about her any more. And when he rose, offering her congratulations at having (finally) managed to make Dumm-E stop poisoning Tony's coffee, he felt a slight warmth just below his heart - just a slight stirring - and he knew the Hulk approved of her as well.


	12. Tony Is Not Workplace Appropriate

_So: last update, (sorry about the slow updates by the way, I have_ way _too many WIP's!) I somehow managed to type things wrong into my master document and ended up with the previous chapter as the first half of last chapter. So if you read it when newly published, do go back and read about Claire's and Steve's talk, as that wasn't fixed until a while after publishing (when I noticed)._

 _Slight warning for unintentional violence. Sort of. Things get a tiny bit bloody in this chapter, so to speak. Almost._

 _I do not own Iron Man, Avengers, ACDC or anything else you recognise. Unless what you recognise it from is earlier in this story, in which case it_ might _be mine._

 _TapTap_

ACDC was blasting from the stereo as Tony finally figured out where the feedback formed an unintentional loop in the newest model of Starkphone, shorting out on the outside casing like some sort of badly maintained car from the nineteen-sixties, and set to fixing it so he could hand the prototype over to Pepper's capable hands.

Pepper had set to preparing for a maternal leave no one thought she'd actually take with gusto, and that meant being even more of a nagging force at Tony than usual. He chose to take it with grace, though, as Clair said she was merely practising on him before the baby came, and he had to admit that was fair. Not the least because he (contrary to popular belief) had enough self-insight to know that _he_ was practising on _Claire_ , and she was graceful enough not to call him out on it. He was grateful that she didn't call him a mother hen in anybody's hearing, too.

Speaking of Claire, Tony rather hoped it would be what she'd definitely helpfully christened as "normal people hours" by the time he finished with the casing; as he had come up with this _gorgeous_ new Iron Man Mark around 100 prototype idea and needed her tiny hands in order to make it work. No matter what he invented to help with the process, nothing beat just having small hands when it came to dealing with the suits and arc reactor. Nothing.

* * *

Claire walked into the lobby of Stark Tower around eight am, carrying a duffel bag with spare clothes. She spent more hours in the tower than in her own apartment, these days, and so when she did go home, she always brought back spare things, because she knew she'd stay a minimum of forty hours every time. For all of his percieved flickeryness, she found Tony Stark very predictable.

As such, she was not in the least surprised when Jarvis told her, as soon as she'd entered the private lift, that Sir was expecting her in his workshop. Privately she wondered if Tony had slept at all while she'd had a day off. Somehow, she didn't think so.

Stopping only briefly to dump her duffel on a bed in a spare room, Claire made her way down to the workshop, to find an (as usual) overly excited genius engineer working simultaneously on at least four projects which she could see; and she was briefly jealous of how effortlessly Tony Stark worked.

That was when he noticed her, and they got out the newest Ironman suit to do some "absolutely minor, awesome and totally necessary upgrades." That, of course, was where everything went straight to Helheim.

* * *

"I am sorry to interrupt," Jarvis distinctively cultured and accented voice cut across the kitchen conversation, "but Miss Thomas has safe-worded in Sir's workshop."

"Safeworded?!" Pepper looked up towards the disembodied voice in shock, before turning her neck back into a natural position to ask a similar question of the room at large; only to discover that except her and Clint - who was still still sitting at the bar with his breakfast cereal - the room was emptying as Steve, Bucky and Bruce were all almost at the door, seemingly having reacted to the subtle distress call on literally a moments notice. Clint, however, looked as bemused as she felt herself.

Muttering to herself about how much trouble Tony was absolutely in, Pepper followed the three men at a more sedate pace, followed in turn by a now very amused archer. When she arrived at the workshop a few minutes later - more than adequately worked up to hit Tony - Pepper did not see what she expected to. She was not sure what she _had_ expected, but it was not this.

Claire (fully dressed, somewhat against at least Clint's expectations) was sitting on top of a work table, leaning into Steve, who was seemingly helping her sit upright, while being checked over by Bruce. "There doesn't seem to be internal damage, no," the doctor was saying as they entered, "whatever safety protocols were in place seems to have been sufficient. Of course, both weight and time of exposure will matter when it comes to..."

"Safety protocalls which I will update _now_!" Tony Stark cut in, from where he was pacing the other side of the room. "They're _clearly not enough._ " With a slight smile, it was Claire who responded. "I am alright, Tony. It is a risk which comes with the job, after all." Before Tony Stark - so careless for his own safety - could pitch in something about it _definitely_ not being alright at _all_ , Clint cut in instead.

"Can anyone explain why Claire safeworded and what the arrows that means?!" Bruce rolled his eyes, Bucky snickered and Claire smirked. "Green, yellow, red," she supplied as an answer. "We use that system, and a safeword, if Tony needs to let me up _right away_. It's because of the work on the suits," she elaborated, being met with two vacant stares.

"Tony's hands are too large to reach half of the componants, so he uses me as a tool, sort of. As a result, I end up in odd positions during a build, or half-crawled in under heavy machinery. That's what's happened, this time - I knocked the suit we were working on off its supports and it fell over me. It is way too heavy for me, but luckily, Jarvis has safety proceedures in place and Steve and Bucky helped get it off of me."

"And they were aware of this system and not me because...?" Pepper's voice was still dangerous enough to make Tony wince. "Well, I don't think pregnant women are supposed to lift heavy weights more than assisting engineers, so it was less urgent that you'd know really. It must have slipped our minds," Claire admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"Goodness," Pepper rolled her eyes, "you are so alike Tony. Is she going to live?" The question was directed at Bruce. At his nod, Pepper Potts barely resisted an eyeroll and went straight back out the workshop door, because she was far too hormonal for this shit and now she needed ice cream.


	13. The Hulk Is Actually An Excellent Friend

_So, I am planning for_ even more _WIP's (I know, I have no self-preservation instincts apparently), so I am writing this while I can. Hopefully, I will also finish some stories soon, so updates_ should _not be slowed down._

 _I do not claim to own Tony Stark. Nobody could own Tony Stark._

 _TapTap_

There was a number of words someone elequent, Claire reckoned, could have thought of to describe this situation. Herself, she could only really sum it up with one: _shit_.

The day had started normally enough; Steve had been drawing in the workshop to be close at hand to help if necessary as Tony and her worked with some unusually heavy prototypes, and Bucky had dropped by with lunch. Her bruises had healed since the accident three weeks earlier, but Tony had only just stopped fretting. Pepper and Natasha both seemed deeply reassured by this blatant display of fatherly instincts, so no one really teased him even half as much as they could have. Not that Tony would have noticed.

Then there had been a call to assemble - something minor, which didn't require the Hulk, and she had been helping Bruce construct a new puzzle for his green self in what Tony had (not surprisingly) named the green-room, and which was basically a great Hulk-containment room. It held a sort of puzzle for geniuses which opened the door when solved, and which Bruce could use to let himself out when he came back to himself. Or might come in handy in case Tony locked himself in during programming.

Bruce had refused to let Tony work alongside him there without an escape option if the door should close, but this escape option without needing to be let out was not only due to practicality. Somehow, for all of his limited thinking abilities; the Hulk seemed to have an eerie ability to spot if not only _he_ was in danger of captivity, but also Bruce. The fact that Bruce could get out - even if the Hulk himself could not - apparently made a lot of difference, if the Hulk's behaviour was to be enterpreted. Claire herself suspected that it was also about that the Hulk knew where he was, and understood that it was _Tony_ who had built this "not cage". The Hulk trusted Tony, that was obvious.

For all of the uses of the escape puzzle, though, it had one weakness - it took a genius to solve. It also opened a door not really big enough for the Hulk, just to be safe, but though it was designed to be unsolvable for a being with a rather basic - though still insightful - understanding, the puzzle was turned up to eleven; and only Tony and Bruce had ever managed to solve it. They could do it within less than a minute, though it changed from every use, but no one else managed. Hence Claire's current obsession with the word "shit".

Biting her lip, she looked around the room. It was securely locked - a mistake, of course, neither she nor Bruce had meant for the door to shut - and the alarm to assemble had rung a second time (programmed to do so in case of situations when the team was split up and arrived at the tower at different times) naturally setting off the Hulk, now that no other Avengers were there to assure him Bruce was correct when he tried to persuade his other self that he was not needed at this time.

So now she had about twenty seconds before the Hulk made his appearance, at most, and she was locked into a secure room not even a ragemonster could get out of - with a puzzle it took even Tony Stark a minimum of fifteen seconds to solve - between her and freedom. She might need an entirely new assortment of curse words just for this situation.

As it was the only action she could think of, she stepped up to the screen with the puzzle, but it was programmed to reset every two minutes and she couldn't even understand the question. She strongly suspected that she couldn't have ever solved it even given unlimited amounts of time, and she had only moments left.

Biting her lip again, Claire considered other options. She couldn't get out. There was no way Tony or Bruce would have made such mistakes in the containment, and while she could hide somewhere, her instinct told her that it would be even _more_ dangerous, while her head told her the Hulk could smell her anyway.

So, what would she do? What did she know of the Hulk?

* * *

When Hulk came to, ready to help the Tinman and all the other small family-members of Bruce and him, he was surprised to note that he was in the not-cage Tinman had made for him to be able to smash all he liked when there was nothing dangerous about that he _needed_ to smash for them.

The strange game Bruce could use to let himself out of the "not a cage, I promise", in the Tinman's words, was glowing faintly, and there was a small person in there with him. A girl. Why was she in his room? Did she not know that it was dangerous? They could move so quickly sometimes, the tiny people, and he might step on her. Had the Tinman taken her here? Why would he do that?

She was sitting peacefully on the floor, though, and wishing her to stay there so he knew where she was and she wouldn't get smashed by accident - she was clearly not dangerous and should therefore not _be_ smashed, Tinman had explained - he tried talking to her. "Stay!" He articulated, hoping this human wouldn't be like Bruce, but do what she was told. He liked Bruce a lot, but he _never_ listened to Hulk.

"Hello," she replied, her voice low and soft, vaguely reminding him of someone else. "I cannot get out. Can I stay in here with you for a while?" Sitting down, so that he could hear her tiny voice better, the Hulk nodded. Now that she was closer, he recognised her from Bruce's vague memories: she was the Mini-Tinman, the one who built him the amusing games which changed colour. She belonged with the Tinman, too, and Hulk _liked_ the Tinman.

He explained things so much better than Bruce did. To both him _and_ Bruce. The Tinman was why Bruce wasn't afraid of him any longer. That had made Hulk very happy. He wanted Bruce to like him back. He pointed to the bit of the room where the Mini-Tinman's games were. He thought the human smiled, but it was so hard to tell on their tiny faces.

"Yes," the girl replied in her soft way, "I built them. For you. Do you like them?" The Hulks enthusiastic nod made her laugh, and he found he liked the sound. He knew he'd like anyone the Tinman liked so much - they both liked Bruce, didn't they - and he was right. Mini-Tin was fun!

 _Only Claire! She'll be in trouble when Bruce wakes back up!_

 _TapTap_


	14. Fairy Godmothers and Hot Cocoa

_One story finished, four new stories begun. Who taught me maths? Anyway, I am doing my best to keep updates here to every second/third week or so, regardless._

 _I claim no ownership and does not mean to cause anyone any offense._

 _TapTap_

Tony Stark stepped into his tower at the end of a long day of actually attending meetings for once, and tossed his tie to be forgotten somewhere around the couch-area. Pepper had promised this was it as far as the boardroom went for a rather long time - between her, Jarvis, him and Claire, the company was running as smoothly as a company ever could, and he liked the sound of increasingly getting to stay in his workshop. That, and galas and lots of playboy publicity. Apparently that sort of thing proved that things were well in hand and running well at Stark Industries to the public, and he was willing to play ball with _those_ instructions. He even mostly kept to Pepper's list of "acceptable behaviour" while he was at it. _Mostly_ , being the word of the day.

Before he managed to make it into the kitchen, Jarvis announced, "Sir, we have a level one alert in the Green room." "Oh?" he poured himself a scotch, not looking up into the cieling as so many guests and housemates did. "Who is in there? Bruce or Hulk?" "The Hulk Sir, as well as Miss Thomas." Tony did not wait to ask silly questions about whether the doors were locked or what had happened, and Jarvis had purposively not been given remote access, for security reasons. So he ran.

Tony might not have known what to expect when looking into the secured room, but Claire sitting peacefully next to an unconscious Bruce was actually one of the alternatives, if he had had more time to think about it. He did not truly expect Hulk to harm someone as obviously not a threat and so sensible as Claire, but he still wasted no time to open the escape route from outside and usher her out. She rose with a relieved sigh as she noticed him there.

"Tony. Thank heavens," she half-whispered as he closed the door behind her. "Just in time." "Has Bruce not transformed yet?" he questioned, sighing in relief internally. This was _too_ close a call. "Oh, he was the Hulk for about four hours, but I did _not_ want to be in there when Dr Banner woke back up," Claire corrected, shuddering. "Can you _imagine_ the lecture he'd give me?!"

Tony blinked, surprised, but then he laughed, leading her downstairs. Bruce would let himself out, and if they were really lucky, he wouldn't remember Claire being in there with him at time of transformation. "All too true, sweetheart. Wanna tell your uncle Tony what happened?" He made a beeline for his abandoned whiskey glass. He had a feeling he was gonna need it. Especially if Bruce _or_ Pepper caught wind of this. Never mind if _both_ of them did. He shuddered.

Claire shrugged, getting started on mixing one of those chocolatey drinks she liked. Tony's kitchen had started to be stocked with tiny marshmallows and cocoa powder, and Tony would never, ever, _ever_ admit to _anyone at all_ just how much he enjoyed that. The Avengers had become family, but this made him feel like it was _real_ in a way which that didn't - like he was a _dad_. Man, his baby girl wasn't even born yet, and he was already done for. Then again, maybe biology wasn't everything. Maybe he already _was_ a dad, hen-motherness and all.

Claire's customary snort at his ridiculousness brought him out of his sappy thoughts just in time. "Sure, my fairy godmother," she addressed him. "The puzzle you and Bruce made is too hard for me and the doors closed by accident. There was a backup call for the Avengers and the Hulk didn't have anybody to calm him down that time. He was distracted easily enough though. He mostly seemed worried to accidentally step on me, to be honest."

Tony blinked again. Few people ever surprised his cynical, flamboyant ass, but Claire could make him speechless. Usually with her crazy (though sometimes almost brilliant enough to be _his_ , and that was saying something) ideas though, and not this sort of thing. "Alright, mini-me, we need a new escape plan. Any ideas? Let's go down to the workshop and lock the doors before Bruce gets back to himself," he added, on second thought. He didn't mind Bruce when he was angry, but he didn't like him when he got all _responsible_. Nope.


	15. A Genius Knows When To Hide

_I am pretty sure I am channelling Tony in writing this chapter... but I do not own Stark Industries. This is honestly just silly._

 _TapTap_

Claire looked down on the workbench and chuckled, glancing over at Tony who was giggling as he worked out a new prototype multidevice remote control. The workshop was under lockdown protocol, meaning no one could hear or see in; but Tony had opened up the other direction, so though neither one of them knew it, she and Tony heard every word of Pepper and Bruce's loud argument. She knew it was childish of them, but Tony's mischievous side was infectious, and she hadn't even tried to talk him out of it.

Listening with half an ear to Pepper's yelling at Bruce about, "how could they possibly put a Stark Industries employee at such as risk", "why hadn't they thought of something like that happening weren't they _supposed_ to be geniuses" and "what was he _thinking_ letting the door close with her inside?!" By the time she got to the, "Honestly Bruce, you are worse than Tony, I expect this kind of nonsense from _him_ but _you_?! You're supposed to be the adult influence in the lab!" Tony was laughing so madly he had to put his work down.

"Pepper is even more feisty than normal." Tony noted as Dumm-E brought him more oil-free coffee. The engineer smiled as he took a sip. Claire was useful in so many, unexpected ways.

"I could blame hormones, possibly," Claire shrugged, but smiled as well, "or you two are just worse than usual and it is nothing to do with Pepper." "Very likely the latter," Tony agreed, as usual more insightful than most people would assume.

"She is right about one thing, though," Tony added, waiting a moment to speak further as Pepper's voice rang out louder than previously, threatening with locking Bruce and Tony into the Hulk room together until they solved this issue so it could never reappear. "Not with that, that's a terrible idea. But we need a way to let you out on your own," Tony specified.

"I know, I was thinking of that," Claire responded, looking up from her paperwork. She usually left formalia to Pepper and numbers to Jarvis, but she did fill in all the forms for the lab for Tony, as the go-between between him and Pepper in management. "How about some sort of, well, cat-flap?"

"We considered that with our exit, but it has to be too small to fit through to make sure that the Hulk cannot possibly get a hand or something through, not that I'd think that he'd actually..." Tony rambled in reply.

"Too small for you and Bruce," Claire pointed out, and Tony's eyes lit with the idea. "I can get through less than half the space you two would need. Not to mention that it can have a lock, too, but it'd be so small, said lock could be considerably less complex than the game you two have to solve." "That, is not a terrible idea. In fact, I can do something with that," Tony promised, setting straight to work after pointing out the one flaw in their plan, "we just cannot implement it before those two clears off..."

* * *

Bucky yawned for himself as he cut up tomatoes and watched as Steve fried some eggs over in the other end of the kitchen. It hadn't been a tough call for the Avengers, but with Tony and the Hulk both elsewhere, it had still been enough of a workout for him to crave comfort food and cuddles with Steve in front of some stupid television program.

Natasha had withdrawn to do ballet in her private studio, Rodney (taking Iron Man's place for the day) had returned to base directly, and Clint had already crashed upstairs somewhere. Tony and Claire had both disappeared by the time they returned, but as Pepper was busy yelling her lungs out at Bruce over some accident in the lab, that was hardly surprising. Coupled with the blacked-out workshop, no one worried about them being lost. If they were lost, it was clearly on purpose.

Steve was a bit concerned that Pepper shouldn't yell at Bruce, but Bucky had reassured him immediately. There was simply no way Bruce would let himself be provoked that easily, and Pepper wasn't even remotely foolish enough to follow him if he needed space. It was their perogative to yell all they liked. What was worrying was the fact that Claire had apparently almost got into trouble.

Bucky was startled - in the most pleasurable sense - out of his thoughts as Steve wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed his neck. Sighing blissfully and tipping his head to the side, Bucky closed his eyes. He could get used to this. And he was so very grateful that he was allowed to.


	16. Beating Superheroes Is Still Wrong

_I do not own "The Avengers". Nor most of my schedule, it feels like. My work-ethics as far as breaks are concerned are shared with Tony Stark._

 _Warnings for implications and a properly evil cliffhanger._

 _TapTap_

It was by no means unusual that Steve visited the workshop. It was widely accepted within the tower that Tony had little or no self-preservation, and even less a clue about taking breaks or eating food. Or sleeping. Steve had many times been tempted to just lift him up and carry him over a shoulder up to his bed, but he knew how many innuendos the engineer would make and so he tried to resist. He might be less of a blushing virgin from the forties, these days, but he was still not quite ready for _that_.

As a result, someone carrying down plates for Tony and his (exceedingly useful, in so many ways) assistant was common practise, and it was natural for everyone living in the tower to come down and seek Tony or Clarie out if they wanted something.

Normally, this meant that somebody - often Bucky or Steve - would knock on the door to the workshop and then make their way in, making sure to be noticed as Tony could be unpredictable when startled and Bucky and Natasha had both noted that for all her determination and calm when facing a situation head on, Claire otherwise had a tendency to be a bit jumpy.

Today, Tony had taken a well-deserved nap on a couch, and Dumm-E was whooshing against anyone who made noise, showing off his protective side when it came to his maker. As a result; Steve, who came down to ask Claire about a technical detail he didn't want to bother Bruce with (he seemed to be very busy with something in his lab), wake Tony over, and no one else was available to help with, walked through the space quietly. He didn't think of just how quiet he was, too amused by the robot to think about the silence of a supersoldier, until he put one hand one Claire's shoulder and, without warning, was clawed in the face.

* * *

"I am so, so sorry." Smiling back comfortingly, ignoring that it was the fifteenth time at least that Claire had spoken the words, Steve repeated that he was fine and that it had just been a reflex. "Don't worry about it."

"He'll live," Bruce got involved, checking the scans of Claire's hand and shaking his head. "You were lucky Steve was quick enough to lean back from the punch or you would have broken every bone in your hand. As it is, you'll be fine in a few weeks and you do not need surgery. There _is_ a break, but it is tiny, and more importantly clean. I'll set it for you, but no more punching superheroes, please."

"It could have been worse," Tony joked over from his place behind the displays, looking at the same results Bruce had. "She could have punched the Hulk, instead." "Hulk wouldn't have hurt me!" Claire protested, clearly upset on her new green friend's behalf. "No, no," Tony replied, focused on the X-ray image of his adoptee god-daughter's dominant hand, "course he wouldn't... however, his face is even _harder_..."

* * *

"How could this happen?" For the second time in a week, Pepper was in a mood to yell at Bruce. This time, fortunately, Clarie was sleeping nearby in the Avenger's private hospital bay, and she had to refrain. "Accident. Steve startled her by mistake and she got spooked. Pepper, it could happen to anybody," Bruce tried to calm her down. "Only difference is that it would be even worse, normally, because only someone with superhuman reflexes could have reacted so quickly and prevented a serious accident. This was not anybody's fault."

Pepper was interrupted before she could respond. "Isn't anybody going to address the huge elephant stampeding around the room?" They both looked at Tony; who was staring at his sleeping fellow engineer, friend and apprentice with a hollow expression. "What _happened_ to her to make _that_ her first reaction?"


	17. Assumptions Are Never Right

_I am currently having my Doctor Strange Story set in another "verse" where Tony and Pepper are married, but I am suddenly_ totally _wanting Elice and Claire to meet. They'd be awesome friends!_

 _Warnings for familial abuse (physiological) and some heavy talking._

 _I do not own the Avengers._

 _TapTap_

"Could she have been abused somehow? I mean..." Pepper closed her eyes for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts; a hand unconsciously resting on her stomach, shielding the baby from the mere thought of anyone harming _this_ little girl.

"She _could,_ " Natasha's voice was calm, but there was a slight hint underneath, as if she was actively struggling to stay that way. "There is no manual, after all. Making a completely accurate guess is not possible. People are _different_. However, her behaviour isn't _typical_ for that of a violent assault for some kind, or for that matter, that of a forgotten child who grew up lost, perhaps in the system. Those usually doesn't grow up to be engineers, either, but, again, she _could_ be."

"I think she lost her mother a long time ago," it was Tony who spoke, surprising everybody. "She loved Clarie a lot, clearly, and Clarie still misses her. I don't think she knows herself that she uses the past tense, but she doesn't speak like there's a new wound. And she's young, so it wouldn't surprise me if it was in her pre-teens, doing the maths."

When no one answered, just looking at Tony in surprise at his apparently delicate handling of something sensitive; not calling someone out on a painful matter, he continued instead. "She can be jumpy, too, and at first, I just figured I take some time to get used to, so... Then, while she still didn't like unexpected sounds or movement, she would relax when she realised it was just me, so I knew she didn't have trouble with _me_ being, you know," he shrugged "me. And you know me - it isn't exactly against my character or anything to be sorta loud, so I started loudly announcing my presence by just saying my internal monologue out loud, as I usually do when alone in my workshop. It helps me think, and Claire sometimes has at _least_ as useful input as Jarvis, and _far_ less snark. So I sort of forgot why I started doing it..."

"Forgot why you were doing what? Have you been soldiering while half asleep again, because you know what we said about that!" Naturally, that was Claire's cue to enter, stepping into the room with her hand set so that the bone could heal in peace.

"Spoke aloud. So that you'd know where I was." No one else in the room would have said that aloud, but Tony did. "You can be a bit jumpy. Which I can be too, fine, after a four-days-inventing-stay-up sort of deal, but you know. When you're awake. And not on caffeine." The last sentence was uttered with the complete befuddlement of someone who couldn't do _anything_ while not on caffeine.

Claire snorted in responce. "I figured that out on my own, you know. No sneaking up on you when you're tired or working. It is sort of obvious. Speaking about working..." she grimaced "will I get fired? I sort of assaulted somebody, and I cannot work for weeks!"

Again, Tony cut everybody more nuanced off before they could even open their mouths. "He had it coming for sneaking about the workshop, come on, you _just_ explained yourself why that isn't allowed! And of course you're not fired. You can work just _fine_. Your main task is to keep me from driving Pepper insane, remember? You'll do fine. And don't change the subject. You're jumpy and I wanna know why!"

"Thanks." Claire moved to the fridge, only to grimace as she realised she couldn't make sandwiches with one hand. Bucky and Steve immediately came to her rescue, making her blush and step out of their way. "Thanks," she repeated, and when she then caught Tony's "serious" face, she shrugged. "I have a fobia for men. It's not complicated."

"I _am_ a man," Tony objected. Claire rolled her eyes as she poured her milk into a glass Bucky had already sat down on the counter. "Yes, but I _know_ you! You're not scary. Well, to me, anyway," she allowed. "If I was a rival inventor or a supervillain, I might have another perspective. "I don't like having men I am not really sure of around, it is just... look, it isn't anything _traumatic_ or anything, I just didn't have any male role-models when I was a kid. Not any _good_ ones, anyway; my father's family is the kind which still thinks women should stay at home and care for kids and grandmothers. My tech obsession wasn't very welcome, either."

"Wait, wait, wait," Steve was frowning over by the counter, making enough sandwiches for all of them. "I carry you to bed all the time. I did that before you'd even properly _met_ me!" "Yeah," Claire responded, still staring at the opened cocoa packet. "I was so freaked out when I woke up in a bed that first time after falling asleep in the workshop on Tony's couch. But my clothes were all untouched and everything and it was so _obvious_ neither one of you had _done_ anything or..." "We'd _never_!" this time it was Bucky who spoke, and he was obviously shaken. "I know," Claire promised. "I realised that really fast, don't worry. It helped that I just sort of assumed you two were already a thing."

"You let me carry you to bed after that, though," Steve pressed. "Yeah, but you're 'my' guys now," Claire argued, finally looking up, making rabbit ears with her functional hand around the word "my". "I am not scared of you! I _know_ you!" she said again. "That in the lab was instinct; I was startled, and besides none of _my_ guys sneak!" They were all silent and listening to her now, slightly puzzled but also curious.

"Steve knocks on the door frame and waits until both Tony and I have seen him, and usually until Tony invites him in. Dumm-E beeps when he is near me ever since I shrieked at him that one time, Tony speaks engineering talk at full volume or sings nonsense for himself - just because he can, I think - Bruce mumble-hums for himself wherever he is and Bucky taps his metal arm into the work benches to make sure we hear him coming as he know he walks so silently. So when I just suddenly felt a hand at my shoulder, I panicked!"

In the resulting silence, everyone just a bit baffled after that, Clint noted, "I sneak." "Yes, but you're not one of my guys. You're scary," Clarie turned back to making chocolate milk, finding that Tony had already added the chocolate for her, and was now grinning victoriously at Clint.

"You're scared of Clint?" Bruce was frowning. Claire shrugged. "Usually not very, he is always high up as well so it is really easy to make sure Steve or Bucky is between us two.. Clint's, "You know I'd never hurt..." was interrupted by a thundering, "Has he ever done anything to you?!" from Steve who was glaring daggers at Clint. "A phobia is an IRRATIONAL fear...!" Claire said loudly, silencing all the crossing remarks in the kitchen, which had become quite loud, making it fall silent again.

"Clint haven't done anything. He is a male, that's all. And I don't know him as well as I do the rest of you. It is just unintentional sexism at my part, don't hold that against _him._ That is utterly unfair." "We're not holding it against _you_ , either," Bucky handed a sandwich to Claire, and gave his next one to Clint. "Just let us know if we need to do something to help you, and we will make sure not to sneak about and scare you again."

With that, the discussion seemed closed, and Pepper and Natasha sat down by the counter to speak about the colour scheme of their new shared suite; keeping an eye on the guys fussing over Claire, (not because they thought that was wrong or strange or worrying or anything, but because they knew that lot could overwhelm just about anybody) not that it seemed to be needed. Claire was leaning on Steve and Tony, eating with one hand and answering Bruce's questions between the bites. They still wanted to talk more about this - they had to - but for now, things were alright. She was fine.


	18. Claire Likes Tony (And SHE Admits It)

_The last few updates have contained a tad of drama... this is_ dramatically _undramatic. Basically I am trying to outfluff myself (which isn't easy, just saying)._

 _TapTap_

"Stark has a Mini-me," Clint held up his hands in a surrendering gesture as he got several glares for his trouble. "Just saying! Baby Stark isn't even here yet, but there's a Mini-Stark! _Totally_!"

"What does it say of his intelligence that he is practically quoting the Hulk?" Claire asked suddenly, from where she appeared out of the media room. Judging by their looks of shock no one in the kitchen had known she was within hearing range. Clint looked especially guilty.

"Wait, what?" Bruce blinked in surprise over the curry he was making for dinner. "The Hulk refers to me as the Mini-Tinman," Claire told him lightly, giving her injured hand, keeping her out of the lab - and causing a few slight tantrums which reminded everyone of an injured Tony - an angry glare.

"The Hulk talked to you? When?" Bruce frowned. Claire shugged. "There's cameras covering the Green-room. I could talk to him, it is not that strange. But we hung out when I got locked in there with him. He was nice. Once he had gotten over his nerves."

"The Hulk was nervous?" Bucky asked, fascinated, from where he was sitting on one of the kitchen benches. "Yes, he was worried I'd move suddenly and make him step on me. A bit like how you're concerned when letting out a butterfly or bumblebee, not wanting to hurt it, I think?" "Like spiders, you don't want to break their legs with the glass when carrying them out," Natasha - who had never yet bothered with a glass to carry out a spider - suggested affectionately.

"Something like that, yes," Claire affirmed, "I was honestly a bit worried of the same. I didn't think he'd hurt me on purpose, but he is so large compared to me. We spent most of the time sitting down next to each other, making no sudden movements. But we talked, and I explained some of the games we've designed to him. I think he liked the company."

"The Hulk approved of you already, still, it was a terrible risk and I am so sorry it happened," Bruce added sadly. "It was _fine_ , Bruce. And Tony made me a cat-flap, so it won't happen again. Don't worry," Claire said gently, obviously trying to coax the scientist into relaxing a bit. He glanced at Pepper, who was sitting on a high stool by the table, leaning into Natasha.

"No harm was done, and the Hulk does not have a history of hurting innocent bystanders," she allowed. "More than that," Claire argued, "the Hulk clearly recognises family - he saved Tony when he fell from space, didn't he - and he was already aware of me and that I made him games. I wasn't hostile or even an unknown. There was no threat and he associate me with the tech, and thereby with Tony, whom he really likes. It was nerve-wracking, but totally safe, strange as that might seem," Claire decided.

"What is this about someone who likes me?" Tony announced loudly as he entered the kitchen, do doubt drawn there - like everybody else - by the smells of Bruce's curry. Or by Jarvis. It was quite possibly Jarvis.

"The Hulk likes you. He's possibly the only one," Clint teased. "Nonsense. Bruce likes me too, right Brucie?" Tony replied just as teasing. "Sorry. I am not partial to people who pokes me with sharp implements," Bruce teased absentmindedly, seemingly only half-aware that he responded to their banter.

"I am wounded. Wounded!" Tony responded in a faux-offended way. "Steve? Bucky? I remade the arm and everything," Tony pouted as the former walked in and effortlessly leaned against kitchen bench between his boyfriend's legs. "Sorry," they replied with one voice - the cap deadpanning the reply even though he likely had no idea what they spoke of - which immediately made them both crack up. "Claire, you like me right?" Tony pressed, still an amused gleam in his eyes.

"Of course I do. And Pepper must have liked you at least enough to overlook any real dislike through the aid of wine, because she did have sex with you, judging by the baby on the way," she added pragmatically. At this, while the men gaped back at the young, innocent-looking scientist, Natasha - who was much more fond of _both_ the excentirc engineers than she'd ever admit - laughed loudly, ignoring her girlfriend's half-glare. It was a good day to be an Avenger. Or a pretty blonde whose smarts were essential for there to even _be_ Avengers. It was a good day.


	19. Everyone Is Adorable

_Look at me, pretty much double updating. These characters are adorable._

 _I am not Marvel and I do not mean to infringe on their stuff._

 _TapTap_

"Claire?" The CEO watched as the young (though exceptionally talented, if one was to believe Tony; and if there was any field in which Pepper trusted the father of her yet unborn child without any reservation, it was engineering) engineer looked up at her voice and smiled when she saw her.

"Miss Potts! Tony went to have a nap... which I conclude actually means 'sleep for two days straight'... he takes some getting used to, that's for sure." Pepper noted how that smile grew even warmer when the younger engineer spoke of her mentor.

"You seem to settle in well, though. You've been a huge help these last few months. And it is Virginia - or Pepper. You don't have to keep calling me 'Miss Potts'. You don't call Tony _Mr Stark,_ now do you," she added reasonably. Claire chuckled. "No, but titles are for _adults_. Would _you_ include Tony in that definition?" Pepper laughed and conceded the point.

"Did you want to talk to me about something?" Claire questioned, considering that the older woman didn't seem like she was thinking about leaving. "How are you faring with the paperwork, with your hand?" It was audible that Pepper was stalling.

"I am fine. It is mostly just sorting, and Jarvis helps. I can cope. Bruce said it will be all healed in a week or two."

"Alright... and how are you faring with the work in general?" Pepper's tone was both more to the point and more cautious, as if she was getting to whatever question she was avoiding. "It is fine. Good, even. Tony gives me a few unusual tasks sometimes, but I manage well, I think." At the older woman's questioning look, the young engineer elaborated. "Tony delegated to me weeks ago to manage my own schedule. I am glad you are my technical boss - Tony is too absentminded. I understand his thinking in such cases though; it is easier for everyone that I manage those things. He's not good about 'normal people hours'... It doesn't bother me or anything."

Pepper looked at Claire for a moment, before she nodded. "Tony can be eccentric. You are good for him, though. I just hope his influence isn't bad for you," she admitted. Claire smiled warmly in responce, looking down on her papers. "I don't think so, unless you worry about the occasional curse word. I learn a lot about engineering working with him, but he is a nice person, under the whole playboy persona. I feel safe with him - and with me, that means a lot."

"Don't fall for him though. I can give that advice from experience," Pepper sounded like she didn't know herself if she was worried or just joking. She couldn't help but smile though, when Claire burst out laughing. "Yeah, I think I am safe on that account. Much as I love Tony, he is a little old for me. It might sound strange, but he's the favourite uncle I never had," she admitted softly, relieved to look up and see Virginia Potts warm, recognising, understanding smile. It seemed they got one another perfectly.

* * *

If anyone had been actively been watching the gentle closeness between Bucky and Steve, any time when the couple was curled up together on the couch or cooking side by side, they might notice (or be baffled by) the softness between them at all times.

Some might be expecting two men as fierce as them to be rougher between themselves, but they never were. Whether it was hands entwined or good morning kisses, the two treated each other with a reverence which came not only from respect, but _history_.

Steve had lived through the scare of seeing Bucky go to war without him, only to scare Bucky in return by following. He had seen his best friend fall to his death, stumbled upon him brainwashed and had eventually recovered him injured.

In return, Bucky had memories from when he was not in control of his own actions, of trying to kill the one man he'd least want to hurt; and endless other memories of caring for his weaker, ill, fragile friend. All of that history _mattered_ , even now, to the both of them, making grips gentle and eyes loving, even though they technically did not need to be cautious with one another. Physically, that is. Mentally, they really _needed_ to.

Some of their teammates noticed, of course, while others didn't. Thor was oblivious, and Tony pretended to be, though they all knew him too well now to believe his shallow persona. It had doubtlessly once been the truth, but they knew better than to believe it was the truth any longer.

No one ever thought anything other than that Natasha knew absolutely everything, though for once, Pepper might not be around enough to know and might resonably miss it. Clint was surprisingly oblivious for someone with hawkeyes, and Bruce saw most everything but spoke of very little.

Claire, too, saw much more than she spoke of, but her eyes always filled with warmth when she saw them together, like now, when Steve was frying a wook while Bucky chopped vegetables, the both of them stood so closely togethert that their hips brushed against their partner at every move.

Maybe, Bucky thought as he welcomed the young woman - looking tired after doubtlessly much paperwork - into the kitchen, that was why she found it so easy to trust the two of them. Because she _saw_ , and she knew what really mattered to the two of them - no matter what anyone else might tell her of their personality. Symbols or fighting tools, warriors or soldiers, he and Steve were really about trust, loyalty and caring for your family. And he knew, he just _knew_ , that Claire understood that; and he didn't doubt that she could guess that she was counted within that definition. Neither one of them had ever had a little sister before, but it was a good feeling.


	20. This Tony Stark Scandal Is A New One

_It is my duty to tell you that I will have drastically less time for updates from now on. As a result, I've finished a bunch of WIP:s in preparation and have made a schedule. I might yet get sudden update ideas and especially in some stories add bonus chapters randomly, but otherwise the stories get their own dates every month to make sure they're not neglected. This story will be updated on the seventh, as a rule. (Variations may occur.)_

 _I know the passing of time is a tad confusing in this story, but trust me, it is marching on. We will notice that it has once Pepper has her baby, though quite a few things will happen before then!_

 _I am not Marvel and I do not mean to infringe on their stuff._

 _TapTap_

The press was tittering in excitement for themselves over in their corner. It was not unusual to see Tony Stark at a classic car auction (even though he owned some of the most impressive specimens already) but he always made for the very _best_ stories to write about, quite regardlessly of what he did.

To be Tony Stark, though, he wasn't being very loud today; not in personality, dress nor in sheer volume. He was in the company of a seemingly greatly intrigued James Barnes, a thoroughly bored James Rhodes, and a secretary with a braid and one plastered hand, seated between them. At first, the press had wondered if she was the great man's date; but she had to be there simply to keep track of ownership papers or something, because there was no way, _no way_ , that he'd go for such a sweet, discrete-looking woman. (It seemed everyone had forgotten about how he had dated his CEO for about two years practically right away. Maybe they thought it was just an extended bout of temporary insanity. On _both_ their parts. They weren't necessarily wrong.)

Two auctions later at the week-long car event, and the press was as bored as James Rhodes; who at that point had seemingly made up an excuse to go back to work and had left, leaving the car-enthusiasts to it and fleeing. Normally by now, Tony Stark would have seduced at least three models and caused a handful of scandals, but instead he sat in his designer jeans and red leather jacket with gold details (in a boring mood or not, he _was_ still Tony Stark after all) and chatted with his two remaining companions.

The lack of fashion interest aside (Barnes was also wearing jeans and a leather jacket - black in his case - and the now widely smiling girl was wearing darker jeans than the two men and a supremely pale, fitted leather jacket which subtly looked as designed as Stark's) there was also a decided lack of other interesting happenings. There were no models, no shouting, and no one was in the _least_ bit drunk. Every single member of press felt the urge to shout, "Who are you and what have you done to Tony Stark?!" but this far, they had all restrained themselves.

Stark had - this far - been seen chatting to a representative of Maclaren, and he'd bought the wonderful record state Austin Healy everybody was talking about, but beyond ooo-ing about the cost of that - it wasn't even a record sale! - he wasn't doing one, single, interesting thing. A few seasoned, patient journalists were simply biding their time, still watching as eagerly; knowing that lions doesn't change their spots, and being Tony Stark, he'd do something exceptionally gossip-worthy sooner _or_ later. Being Tony Stark, that was of course also exactly what he did.

This auction - featuring very old but not especially exciting cars - was going onwards peacefully, Tony Stark assumedly there because of a genuine passion for engineering, even though no one expected him to bid on anything. Unless maybe if he needed vintage parts or something.

What no one at all expected, was for him to bid on an old three-wheeled Isetta Bubble car. That was odd enough - it wasn't exactly exciting, fast _or_ glamorous - but when he wrote a check for it and then refused the keys, instead referencing the girl - not unusual in itself – and she took them with a beaming smile and kissed him on the cheek; then jaws started to drop, as it was clear the car was a _gift_.

Who was she and why did Stark suddenly - now that they finally noted her - look at her with such adoration? Then, with extraordinary timing in the silence of shock, several dozen people were close enough to hear her happy, "Thank you, _dad,_ " and the presses almost literally hit the ceiling.

Tony Stark being referred to as "daddy" had happened before - though only once by each girl, to the point where journalists speculated that the title, however jokingly applied, freaked Stark out at least when coming from a partner (some might say he couldn't be blamed) - but _dad_? This was an entirely new scandal, in the exciting ongoing epos of Tony Stark.

Everybody, absolutely _everybody_ , were _gutted_ that before they could publish this _scoop_ , Tony's official twitter had posted a picture of Stark and the car, announcing, "Bought a car for my goddaughter. What have I done wrong for her to want _this_ instead of a nice Koenigsegg?!"

Smart as that tweet was of Claire after publicly slipping and calling Tony dad - the _caring_ father she'd never gotten to have (until now, anyway) - the speculation didn't die down for days. Tony loved it.

No matter how much Tony claimed it was because he loved to mess with the press, Bucky's super hearing had picked up on the answering, "You're welcome, daughter," as much as Claire's ears had. Neither one of them told the rest of the team, but then again - they did not strictly need to.

 _Actually, leopards do change their spots - they grow different and further apart as they grow up - but lions have spots where their whiskers are, and those doesn't change!_

 _And I don't care what you say, calling a sexual partner "daddy" is freaking creepy as hell!_

 _TapTap_


	21. Planning Desinformation

_I am so sorry that this chapter is late - my new busier schedule is great fun this far, but it doesn't really lend itself to fanfiction. Sorry about that!_

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

 _TapTap_

It was dead silent in the Avengers' kitchen. Bruce was sitting at the kitchen table, patiently unpacking Claire's hand from its protective cast, ignoring the way Tony was glaring at him the entire time. The older engineer had thrown more tantrums about the injury than the younger one had, not that she'd been entirely patient either.

Now, though, Claire was sitting silently, waiting for the doctor to unpack her hand, her head leaning into her other hand, with an unreadable facial expression.

"That looks so slow..." Bucky noted, leaning against a kitchen counter, unconsciously making sure to place himself between Claire and Clint, not that it was truly needed - Clint had already made sure of the same - and shaking his head. "You're so...breakable." "We were once breakable too, Buck," Steven pointed out - from over where he was putting a truly ridiculous amount of food into the oven - with a patience which could almost rival Bruce's.

"Maybe you were. I never once broke a hand trying to punch you in the face," Bucky answered grumpily. Claire's sudden, taken-aback laughter was drowned by Tony's sarcastic, "Please tell me that never happened to you either, Capsicle." This, in turn, had to drown out Clint's comment of - in essence - exactly the same thing. Bruce only just won the fight with a sigh, but Steven smiled.

"No, but I did crack five ribs coughing that one time, do you remember that, Buck?" It was Bucky's turn to sigh, so presumably, yes, he did indeed remember that time. Possibly, he also wished that he didn't.

"You people are like having a housefull of infants. I swear every time I turn my back..." Pepper Potts, whose pregnancy was finally starting to show ever so slightly, said from the door.

"Be fair, Pepper," Claire noted, looking utterly zen as she watched the last parts of her prison peel away, "Bruce and Steven are both entirely adult. Maybe even me, on a good day." "Quite," Pepper conceded that point.

"Speaking about babies," Steven started over by the stove, "what are we telling the press? People have begun to speculate about that you may be pregnant, and they already want to know who the father is." "Nonsense. Let's tell them nonsense," Clint suggested, while Tony had tilted his head and looked every bit like the lead villain in any self-respecting film cracking a truly evil masterplan.

"We need to say something which matches," Bruce agreed, but Claire had tilted her head in a way very much like her mentor. "Why?" Noting that everybody was watching her (though Bruce _was_ still looking at her hand) the junior engineer continued with a shrug. "If we all stick to one, resonable story, but not quite matching, that must be the best way to spread disinformation." "Plus, it'll be fun!" Tony agreed.

"Can't we just tell the truth?" Steven looked a little confused. "No." Pepper's tone had gone die-hard serious, making everybody stare. "I don't want my daughter to see an old newspaper fifteen years form now and have some stranger judge her as an _accident_!" "Good point," Tony immediately agreed, entering into a protective mode nobody would even guess he _had_. (Except the people present, who _knew_ he did.)

"I'll..." Natasha started, making everybody except Bucky jump as they hadn't heard her come. Smirking at them, she continued, "I'll just say it is my and Pepper's baby and that I am very happy and lucky." She smiled serenely. Pepper smiled warmly back at her. "I like the sound of that. I'll say the same, but I will add that it is Tony's baby by blood - I won't hide that." "I'll just be smug about that then," concluded Tony easily, leaning back in his chair. "I do that well." It wasn't easy to discern where the following snort came from, and it might have been _several_ sourses. (It probably was all of them.)

"I'll say Tony donated sperm and everybody is happy about the outcome," Bucky decided, making everybody turn their heads, unaware that he knew about that technique. He shrugged with a "what?" expression. "I'll go for that too," Steven concluded.

"I'll say that Pepper and Tony longed for a baby and got her, too, but that they decided they were better apart and went their separate ways," Bruce cut in softly. "But did they break up _because_ of the baby or _despite_ of the baby?" Claire questioned him. "Pick one and I'll do the opposite," Clint answered. Pepper giggled at that, and Claire shrugged. "I'll say that I am unsure who the father is if nobody minds - run with the sperm donation line. All I know is that she and Natasha asked the other Avengers."

"Good plan. It could be _my_ baby," Bucky tried to keep a straight face. "What do you mean, it is Natasha's!" Clint pushed, grinning. "We'll give that one to the Hulk. Or Thor. They could totally pull that off," Tony decided.

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Pepper went to get some more ice-cream.


	22. Love Is Worth More Than An Austin Healy

_Look at that, my schedule is working again! :D_

 _I do not own "Ironman" or "The Avengers" and I mean no copyright infringement._

 _TapTap_

"They are adorable," Natasha sounded half awed, half disapproving. "They're _weird,_ " was Clint's input. "Shh. They're not getting into trouble," Bruce's voice, like Natasha's, was affectionate. Pepper, now visibly pregnant, was smiling in a motherly fashion from her spot, leaning against Steve, where they all peeked through the door to Tony's garage/secondary workshop.

"He will be a wonderful father," the mother-to-be noted, getting nods of agreement from both Bucky, Steve, Bruce and Natasha, the latter seemingly not in the least bothered by the thought of sharing her and her girlfriend's baby with her father.

Inside the workshop, a number of impressive cars were lined up in both neat and messy lines: a brand-new Maserati sharing space with a Maclaren, two different Koenigseggs lined up next to a very flamboyant red Ferrari and an orange Lamborghini. In a corner, Tony's extensive vintage collection was carefully settled.

The owner of all these cars had settled into the middle of the large room, apparently having decided to make some small restauration efforts to the Austin Healy he had bought a month or so ago at auction. It had a door open to assess what might be needed and the bonnet as well, but - and this was the reason for all the cooing at the door - it had been abandoned. Not ten feat away, Claire had started a similar effort with her Isetta Bubble car which Tony had given her. As it turned out, though, the younger engineer knew far too little about cars to attempt the restoration of an old engine on her own, and Tony had forgotten his own project; throwing himself headfirst into hers like the perfect mentor that he was.

The Avengers (and CEO/already supermother) at the door watched and listened as the usually so arrogant engineer gave a patient and very kind lecture about how to spot and eventually fix some problem no one bothered to listen to the details about. No one, of course, except Claire, who had not noticed what everyone else was, but instead was merely listening to the information about cars, her eyes shining happily.

There was something about the way they looked, restoring the old car together, with the same enthusiasm - or maybe it was the trusting way they leaned together - which just made the breath catch of everyone spying at the door. The picture they made, the warm, innocent affection in a room which was suddenly no longer dominated by the hundreds of millions worth of cars which had used to rule it, was beautiful.

Just listening to the warmth and trust streaming through the door was enough to warm anyone's heart. Pepper pointedly stared Clint down when he dared joke about recording it to use as blackmail material. This was private, and it was too delicate and wonderful - too valuable - to give to the press, or to anybody. Silently, one by one, the Avengers left, until finally, only Natasha remained at Pepper's side.

They shared a smile which was all love and understanding, and a press of laced fingers, then they, too, left to leave the genius and his daughter to their collective success.


	23. And So It Begins

_No copyright infringement is intended. Having not even seen most of these films, I can hardly claim to own them, now can I?_

 _TapTap_

Gently, Claire threaded the last piece of wiring into the protective shell of the latest Ironman suit and breathed a sigh of relief. "Well done," Tony praised, not looking up from where he was kneeling, doing similar adjustements to the feet of the suit.

Smiling, Claire stepped away, pulling the locks of her hair which had escaped from her ponytail, away from her forehead.

"Guys!" Tony cursed loudly as the interruption almost made him drop his set of electronics forceps; which he was handling with skill. "Clint!" Claire chided in turn, frowning while she took a drink from the now stone-cold cup of chocolate she'd forgotten on the worktable next to them in all the excitement of finishing up the set of circles.

"Sorry, but they're announcing Pepper's pregnancy on the news!" Both engineers looked up at that. "Jarvis, turn on the appropriate channel!" Tony ordered immediately, making Jarvis (after a polite, "Certainly sir,") make a screen flicker to life in the middle of a news broadcast.

"...this is after some serious speculation on both social media and from journalists and bloggers. The official line from Stark Industries is that Virginia Potts, the CEO, is pregnant. There is no official comment on who the father may be yet, but we have Tess in place at Stark Tower. Tess, what have we learnt so far?"

"Hello Jessica. Stark Industries have not confirmed nor denied that Tony Stark might be the father of Miss Pott's baby. However, the Avenger Thor was caught on camera just twenty minutes ago stating that it is the _Black Widow's_ baby!" The journalist looked suitably exited and puzzled by this. "Miss Potts and Miss Romanow have not been available for a comment, nor have Tony Stark, but Lieutenant _Barnes_ has commented, and his statement seems to point to that Tony Stark was in fact a sperm donor for the happy couple of mothers. Back to you, Jessica."

"Thank you, Tess. It is all very exciting. We shall keep you all updated on this exciting new report. Now on to the White House and the new equality plan! President Obama has started an impressive initiative to..."

Suffice to say; Tony, Claire and Clint, were all dubbled over laughing. Upstairs, Natasha and Pepper shared a kiss on their sofa, and Steve and Bucky smirked over their ice cream, watching it in their bedroom. In the kitchen, the one who'd initially seen the broadcast, Bruce was chopping vegetables for his curry and smirking for himself.


	24. Intermission

_My apologies for this chapter being three weeks late - I have been finishing up seven stories this December, so my regular long-running projects were put on the back-burner for a bit. I am sorry about this, and it will be back to normal in January, which means this story will be updated every 7:th. Thank you for your patience._

 _TapTap_

Bruce puttered through the lab putting things away and thinking of new angles he might try in his experiments - he was working on how small measures of Hulk-like conditions or the serum might help people who were gravely ill, and though he knew it would take him a long time yet, he was hoping to get there eventually.

He was not expecting to see Claire there - not this early at least - and he was certainly not expecting the normally serene engineer to look so ragged and worried. "Claire?" He called for her attention, making sure to do so from a resonable distance not to spook her.

She looked up with the speed of someone who was startled, but still attempted to give him a smile. "Oh, Bruce. Good morning." She removed the headphones Bruce had not seen her wear.

"I'm sorry - I hope I didn't scare you." She shook her head. "Is anything the matter?" "Miss was just about to tell me," the answer came not from her, but from Jarvis, the AI's voice sounding chastising. Which was common enough, but usually not aimed at Bruce. "You don't know that, Jarvis," Claire answered back, smiling for a brief moment. "It is nothing, anyway. I filed a complaint that my neighbours were noisy, and now _I_ have been evicted because of it..."

Both Bruce and Jarvis might have come with some sort of encouragement or advice, but this was made impossible by the - for once - silent arrival by Tony. "Well that's easy. Your floor at the tower has been ready for _months_ ," Tony ignored both Bruce's and Claire's blinking, surprised eyes, and just shrugged. He then accepted a cup of coffee from Dumm-E and seemingly heading back to bed, leaving the other two just standing there, not knowing what to think. As usual, Jarvis intervened to make things a bit clearer.

"Sir included this in the plans for Pepper and Natasha's shared living space," the AI told them. "Miss Romanow is on her usual floor, while Miss Potts have an apartment waiting her on the floor above. Yours have been settled on the floor above that, which seems prudent. It should be livable at the moment though the last of the furniture will not arrive until the end of the week."

It was all credit to Claire that she merely shook her head tiredly and went home to pack.


	25. Claire Is (Always) Helpful

_No copyright infringement is intended._

 _TapTap_

"Come in!" Claire was standing by her new, unfathomably wide bed, unpacking one of the duffel bags she'd packed most of her clothing into beside the boxes she'd hastily packed up the day before.

She did not technically have to be out quite so quickly, but it was simply that this was a much better place to be either way.

"Hi, we were just checking in - need any help moving anything?" A few months earlier, Claire would have been somewhat surprised at Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers appearing in her doorway offering to move furniture, but now she would have been surprised if they hadn't. Besides, The Hulk might win the prize, but she was _surrounded_ by men who seemed to have just longed their entire lives for a little sister to come along so they could be big brothers. Except Tony. And wasn't his father-like behaviour the surprise of the bloody century.

"Actually, yes. The couch in the living room is facing the wrong way. Could you turn it a quarter of a circle clockwise? Assuming even you guys can move that thing..." Claire shook her head. Every single piece of furniture in this place was completely _huge_. Trust Tony to go utterly overboard in every sense of the word. At least he was consistent.

Both the supersoldiers chuckled. "'Course we can," Bucky assured her, winking and pulling Steve back out of the room, undoubtedly to go and shift the massive, sixteen-seater sofa for her. Thank goodness for superhero-housemates. Not that she expected they would be much more silent than the last lot. As a whole, anyway - she could bet Banner was generally a silent person, while she knew for a fact Tony absolutely wasn't. Ever. In _any_ aspect of his life. She could only be grateful the tower was large and had thick enough walls that no one had to hear him and the hordes of models he kept on bringing home. At least she fervently _hoped_ it was large enough.

As for the others, Natasha and Bucky were rather _too_ silent, not to mention could be randomly found throughout the living floors - except in the private apartments, usually - polishing very menacing-looking knives, and Clint she still hadn't been able to peg down. He was not there as much as most other Avengers, either.

Claire worked patiently with her unpacking, only stopping very briefly to call out a thanks when Steve called over from the next room that they were done. All in all, she was ready to go down to the communal kitchen around about dinner time.

Thus she surprised Bruce - who was one of their most common designated cooks - having already rinsed and prepared all the vegetables he had designated for his dinner recipe by the time he came down. Bruce, naturally, used this to tease the rest of the Avengers about how both he and the Hulk (as it seemed from their brief interview, anyway) preferred their new roommate.

The reactions to this were varied. Steve and Bucky, the other cooks in the house, merely chuckled, Natasha tilted her head looking too deadly to comment further in her direction, and Clint sulked. Tony, of course, childishly stuck his tongue out and then loudly assured them all that Claire was his favourite lab partner, too, instead of Bruce. To no one's surprise, the scientist took this calmly.

Tony then continued to note how he was perfectly happy to share a workshop with Claire but had felt the need to banish Bruce to his own lab. Doctor Banner took this calmly too. Maybe that was because it was clearly nonsense, what with him needing other equipment compared to the two engeneers, or perhaps it was just that Bruce rarely got very worked up about anything. Likely, it was both.


	26. Congratulation Miss Thomas -

_So, last month due to some short-term projects and my actual life being far too busy, there was no update. This month, I am glad to assure you all we are back to business. (Though a week late. I am still_ silly _amounts of busy) On to the story!_

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

 _TapTap_

Claire could swear that she'd never forget that moment. Not just the actual _occurrence_ , but the _feeling_ that accompanied it. Part of her just knew somehow that it'd stay with her. Probably forever. Her life had changed a _lot_ , and quickly so, but she had never before been so aware of all which had shifted. Things truly wouldn't ever be the same, and suddenly she _knew_.

How she hadn't known before that moment, now that she did see, astonished her, but fact was that she hadn't. Change had snuck up on her, and she simply had not realised what picture she was staring straight at.

It had started like any normal morning: well, normal since actually _normal_ had totally ceased to be a thing, anyway. Steve had been making enough pancakes to feed a medium sized army (or a group of Avengers, minus Thor) in the kitchen, assisted by Bucky, who had been getting out condiments and stopping Clint from stealing all of the food before it was ready. Bruce had been making waffles, and Natasha had been getting out ice cream to go with them - Pepper wanted it with everything lately, and while nobody argued with Pepper at the best of times, pregnant Pepper was just getting her way. Period - while Tony was sitting on the kitchen bench by the expresso machine, looking very much like he was actually sleeping. As far as not normal went, this was the normal kind. Perhaps apart from Tony sleeping.

Breakfast was loud and boisterous (it didn't help that Tony woke up) and everything was typical for being around the Avengers. Though Pepper fondly rolled her eyes and Natasha half-smiled in that way she had, Claire knew that they appreciated their odd family - yes, that was what they were - and she loved the mess. She just did. The chaos fed her, somehow.

After it, Clint left to that place he always left to, Pepper grabbed more ice-cream and stretched out, shoeless, on a comfortable couch which had somehow (probably because of Tony, Claire just assumed that much) appeared in Natasha's ballet studio, where the Black Widow withdrew to do what to Claire's untrained eyes looked like very advanced ballet.

Bruce disappeared to his lab with Tony in tow, and Steve and Bucky went out to shop for baby clothes. Still very much like any day, this left Claire alone in the main part of the tower, tidying up a few books someone had forgotten spread over the carpet. Judging by their titles, she had absolutely no idea what they were about, nevermind who had left them there. She just put them on the coffee table.

She was still getting up from the carpet, still wearing pyjama bottoms with cars on them (Tony had left them on her bed as a gift - Jarvis had confirmed as much and no one else in the tower were her size anyway - when she moved in and they were the softest thing she owned, so she just wore them) and a silly novelty t-shirt with the arc reactor printed on it (much to the delight of everybody with a sense of snark in the tower, specially Clint and Tony) when there was a knock on the door.

Whoever came talked to Jarvis and was apparently let in, because the door opened. Standing there by the couch in her silly missmatched pyjama, Claire was ready to call for Pepper to come handle the woman in a neat suit - matched skirt and jacket in grey, with a blouse - but the woman her age nervously cleared her throat and smiled.

"Miss Thomas," Claire blinked, "I brought the ownership papers for the takeover. They need to be signed by Mr Stark, and here is the quartely lab report from external R&D for you. Thank you, ma'am." Accepting the two thick folders out of sheer instinct, Claire had not yet managed to gather her wits when the woman turned around and left the room, once again communicating with Jarvis on the other side of the door. Probably, she suddenly realised, because she didn't have authorisation to use the private lift that went this high and had to be granted access by the AI.


	27. - You've It Into The Elite

_This is a bonus chapter, due to me owing you a chapter from last month. Here goes:_

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

 _TapTap_

Claire was still sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the two folders, when Steve and Bucky returned home from their shopping excursion. Somebody less openhearted than Claire would likely have been surprised by the amount of bags two supersoldiers brought back from a tour of even New York's selection of childcare stores (or _any_ stores), but she was not. Not that she really noted them anyway, sitting in her chair and staring down on the two folders on the table.

"Claire?" Bucky carefully asked, making her look up. She looked haunted, he thought. "What on earth happened?" Both supersoldiers, deeply concerned, came and sat down at the table with her. She nodded to the folders, which they looked at un-understandingly. They looked like typical Stark Industries folders, they thought. When they said as much to their little sister, in every way which mattered, she just sighed.

"It is a company quarterly update, reserved for management posts," she told them finally, somewhat unhelpfully. "Is it for Pepper? Or Tony?" Steve tried. She shook her head mutely, staring at it again. The two men exchanged a worried look.

"That folder is for Tony," she suddenly said, nodding over to the other folder, biting her lip. "It is a takeover. Neither Tony or Pepper gets management updates - he's the owner and she runs the company. They get access to _all_ the information; Pepper literally day to day as she runs the company, and Jarvis updates Tony on everything he needs right away - they both have complete access. This one if for _me_."

"And why is that a bad thing?" Bucky felt really out of his depth with this one. "A woman came up with them," Claire continued as if she hadn't heard him, "the type of business secretary I could have never competed with six months ago. I'd made it to my engineering exam, sure, but I had such a long way to go to get _anywhere_ , I could never hope to reach people like that. And today... she looked at me as if _I_ was _her superiour_."

Without looking up at the two men, Claire continued to talk, blurting it out now that she'd finally started talking. They listened silently, still deeply concerned, but at least now she wasn't just staring at a couple of _folders_ out of all things in puzzling silence.

"That's not even it. The point is that she was _right_. She left _an overtaking folder_ with me, and Jarvis authorised her to do so, because I handle all the internal - inside Stark Tower - R &D management, which essentially puts me on an equal footing with the man who runs the external unit out on the airfield - a man who is the manager of about 460 employees.

I belong to the _management_ of _Stark Industries_ , and I hadn't even _realised_. It's just snuck up on me. It _all_ has!" Finally, the two former army men started to understand the chock she was clearly experiencing - they could even _relate_ , more or less - suddenly being thrust into this life, much like they had been, if maybe a _little_ less dramatically so.

"It's not just that, either," Claire was not talking quite as quickly now, but she was still sounding choked up, "just _look_ at this place. I _live_ here. And somehow, that's _normal_! And now that I see it, I just can't understand how I was so blind for this _long_. Do you remember that accident Tony had in the workshop when he poured engine oil on my old jacket?" It was clearly a metaphorical question, and neither man had a chance to answer anyway, as she didn't pause. They didn't mind. "He bought me a new one. Which is fair, but I _knew_ after I caught a glimpse of the label that it was branded. Of _course_ it was. _Tony bought it_. Do you know... I googled it. That particular one costs just over _6000 dollars_. I _knew_ , and yet, I had _no idea_.

It is not just that one, either; my closet is slowly filling with clothes I never thought I could ever even dream about, and I never _thought_ about it. I..." Claire finally broke down, sobbing into her arms, laying upon the table. Someone with less of an idea of what she was going through might not have understood why, but Bucky and Steve did. Claire was neither sad nor upset, she was just _overwhelmed_. Silently, they both moved their chairs closer and hugged their favourite little blonde engineer. She clinged to them during the long minutes, as she finally started to calm down.


	28. And It Gets Worse

_Claire is still having something of a crisis... No wonder after working so long with Tony Stark! ;)_

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

 _TapTap_

Claire was still clinging to the two super soldiers, trying to calm down, when Tony walked out into the common room of the tower, having left Bruce to it down in the other scientist's laboratory.

Walking into that scene, the genius, scientist, engineer (and a few other, in this context less than relevant, nicknames) stopped with a frown and then stepped forward with new purpose, demanding with all the protectiveness and caring of a _great_ father. "What happened?!"

"This is for you, I believe," unsympathetic, Bucky handed the un-understanding owner of Stark Industries the folder with the takeover. Looking down at it briefly, Tony frowned, and looked back up again, even less understanding. Which was not entirely, as it happens, usual for Tony Stark. Even if a few people might perhaps think so.

"I was handed it by one of Pepper's secretaries," Claire took pity on her puzzled "fairy godfather". As this did not make his face clear with understanding, she gave a tiny smile and continued, perhaps unhelpfully. "I was handed my own quarterly report at the same time." "Well, while I have all sympathy - those things are _awful_ \- this does seem a bit..." Tony's voice petered out in question, very unlike him.

"It is a shock when it happens, isn't it?" It wasn't anybody at the table responding, and Tony spunn around to face the familiar voice. Pepper was smiling softly, her eyes trailed on Claire. "I was hired as Tony's PA - now I run the entire company as its CEO. I get it. It is always a shock to realise that the things you thought were true... have just changed." Pepper sent a wry - but appreciative and endlessly fond - glance in the direction of Natasha, who had silently "appeared" by the wall a few yards from her girlfriend. Tony muttered something about how Pepper had spent far too much time with Natasha lately and now they'd both scare him half to death with their creeping around.

"I hadn't realised just who... or what, maybe, I had become," Claire admitted, ignoring Tony and talking to Pepper now. "I'm wearing a pyjama I don't know how much it costs, not even reflecting at how it might very well be more than my student loans. Frivolous, maybe - I still have those loans to pay off, after all."

"Well, that can hardly be the case for long," everyone moved their attention to Tony, who as usual wasn't subtle. He shrugged the looks off and only met the puzzled eyes of Claire. "You do realise that you have invented several things with me in the workshop, right? Ideas of yours we have developed together, or original designer drawings of yours you've given up on and left out for me." "Well yes, because you're interested even if I cannot make it work. That's fine." Claire shrugged, "And if we develop something together we share credit, right? And you get to use the ideas. Stark industries exclusive rights. You've told me this."

"Yes," Tony agreed, "but the ideas are _yours_ , Claire." "Stark Industries do get the exclusive right to use them," Pepper filled in, very softly. "Only fair as they are developed by our employee and our owner, in our workshops, but you are not one of our hired developers, Claire. We do not own your ideas - and there are still patents to file." "Right," Claire frowned, unsure where Pepper was going with that. "Jarvis?" Tony cut into the conversation, "what are the financials like on Claire's own and our shared pathents? Her cut?" "The royalties are right now at 2.1 million dollars, Sir," Jarvis responded crisply. Claire frowned. "What?" "We will pay this out at the end of the calender year if that suits you, Miss Thomas," Pepper replied, seemingly trying not to smile. Claire stood entirely still for a whole 20 seconds.

Then she abruptly turned around and went to get some of Pepper's ice cream, because now _she_ needed some, too.


	29. As One Crisis Settles

_I am still not nearly crazy enough to think I am Marvel and so claim no copyright on anybody but my OOCs._

 _TapTap_

Crossing her twenty-pound boots, which were followed by thousand-pound jeans, Claire tilted her head and authorised the transfer of funds worth millions of dollars from one part of the lab budget to another. Not that there was really such a thing as a lab budget in the internal R&D. Tony Stark owned the company; he did what he pleased.

Claire personally believed that even if he hadn't, it would have been sheer malpractice to even attempt to restrain the man, what with how many lucrative patents he produced on an average work day. She had seen him beat Hammer Industries' yearly figures during one single inventing streak.

It was a sunny, pleasant day, about two weeks after she had had her epiphany, and she had tryingly settled into her old philosophy: money only mattered if you did not have enough of it. If the lack restrained you in some way. She had realised, as the days went by, that nothing had changed in that respect, just because she was not restrained by their lack any longer. Possibly ever.

Of course, because Claire's world was sunny, somebody else's had rain. Just who that somebody was was made apparent not ten minutes after she had finished her task and gone on to clean out the coffee pot; something she did regularly as it had a truly spectacular amount of coffee brewed in it and nobody else frequently frequenting the place had the capability of doing so. (Dumm-E couldn't do it because he did not have opposable thumbs. Tony was just so _uninterested_ that he became almost physically incapable.)

Just as she put the coffee pot back, Steve banged into the workshop; smashing the door open so violently in his anger that he startled the absorbed Tony and almost made him drop the soldiering iron. (Claire had no idea what he was doing with it, but she also had no doubt that it'd be _brilliant_.)

Looking up, observing and shaking his head, all the genius did was send his assistant a look that said, "You deal with whatever that is," and then he went back to work.

"Steve?" Claire asked carefully, walking closer cautiously. As if awakened by that action, Steve looked appalled at the fact that she clearly felt the need to be careful around him. Ignoring the man's shame, she gestured out towards the elevator leading upwards in the tower. "Shall we?" Gratefully, he let her lead him upstairs.

Ten minutes later - joined by Bruce and Bucky, both looking very concerned - they had settled down in one of the massive couches in Claire's suite, accompanied by a lot of sandwiches, crisps and - for some reason - popcorn. Apparently, Bruce and Bucky shared the view that there needed to be food if somebody was upset. Claire didn't bother arguing - they were probably right anyway.

Steve was near enough crying on Bucky's shoulder, but none of them had anywhere to be. They didn't mind waiting.

Letting Steve cry himself out, Bruce started helping Claire with some calculations she'd left at her coffee table while Bucky just held his boyfriend. There was no hurry. Steve could talk when he was ready - they were not going anywhere.


	30. Another begins

_I still do not own Marvel, and I still love these guys._

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It had become almost dinner time, at least an hour having passed in relative silence and peace, when Steve finally spoke. "Peggy says she doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Well you can tell that stubborn old..." Tony, who had been lurking around the door for just a few (slightly less peaceful) minutes, started, only to be interrupted by a hand accross his mouth. Somewhat surprisingly, perhaps, it belonged to _Clint_ of all people. Nobody had seen him arrive.

"Thank you, Clint," Claire acknowledged, getting a grin from the archer. She then turned her attention back to Steve, voice sympathetic and kind as she asked, "Tell me what happened?"

Stutteringly, and on the verge of tears, Steve did.

Just like he had done ever since the first few months after awakening from the ice, Steve had gone to see Peggy in the nursery home she had retired to after turning ninety. He was by no means her only visitor: her husband (she had eventually settled on somebody else, ten years or so after thinking Steve permanently lost) had been dead for some years now and she had several daughters and a whole flock of grandchildren. The youngest of said grandchildren were still in the lively running-about sort of age, but the oldest was a charming young woman of twenty-one, fresh out of University and just a little bit taken by Steve, though he never noticed.

Like he did often, Steve had come there to visit with Peggy. He had been shown into her room and started their normal ritual by asking her how she was. Only this time, things had taken quite the unusual - and distressing - turn and the visit had ended with her asking him never to come again, despite his pleading with her to the contrary.

Claire listened patiently to the story, which had Bruce frowning in puzzlement and Bucky in concern (and Tony being entirely silent, which said more than anything) and then she merely shook her head, muttering about stubborn old ladies and the general silliness of human beings.

"Okay..." Clint had stated, backing away overly slowly, as always trying to make a joke. Tony had hit him, only somewhat gently, and asked no questions at all - clearly sure that his adopted god-daughter knew what she was doing entirely. He, it seemed, was waiting to hear her plan, while Bruce just kept being puzzled and patient, and Bucky concentrated on comforting Steve. They were all puzzled, not least of all Steve himself, who still did not understand Peggy's decision. It was all out of the blue, too.

"I think," Claire finally took pity on them, "that Peggy is being self-sacrificing here. It sounds like it, anyway." She cut off Steve's protest - or if it was a question - before he had time to begin. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go speak to her myself. See if I can sort this out. I have an idea."

Naturally, nobody argued with Claire - they had no idea what Peggy might possibly be thinking, and so they needed all the help they could get. And the next Thursday, Claire Thomas went to see Peggy Carter.

And wasn't that a blast, in an almost too literal sense.


	31. Regrets

_Look, chapter! Fancy that._

 _Warnings: there is a reference to sexual harassment in this chapter, as in Tony remembers such accusations coming up in SI years ago. He is thinking about things he is actually proud of from his somewhat spotty past, and taking the victim's side in that situation makes the list. (I figured a huge corporation like Stark Industries was bound to have had such issues at some point in the past, and I've always seen Tony Stark as the kind of man who would take the victim's side in a heartbeat. He's the kind to be a good-natured ass at times, but_ never _an actual asshole.)_

 _Also, there's a reference to Pepper having changed her sexualliy: Tony isn't unaware of the existance of bisexuality (heh, at_ all _), he is just - as usual - so uncaring about non-essentialls that it is almost aggressive: he even forgets about the existance of the very_ word _. Basically, he really doesn't care_ what _she is or isn't as long as she's happy and his kid doesn't get another dude like himself for a stepdad... (he has a point, there.)_

 _I don't own Marvel._

 _TapTap_

Overall, Peggy Carter had no regrets. As in, she was lucky in how her life had turned out, in the end. Beyond that, she did have regrets, and plenty of them, too. There was a lot of good in her life, but before that, there was a large amount of bad, as well.

She was lucky to have had the chance to meet Steve again - she had missed him - but she was an old woman now. She was widowed, a mother and a grandmother, but she had not gotten to spend her life with Steve, like she had once wished. She was very lucky in how it had finally turned out, but the regrets were still there.

For herself, Peggy would want to keep Steve near for the rest of the limited time they had, but despite all the things which had happened since they'd once been together, and her essentially having moved on, she did still love him. In a way.

He deserved better: he deserved more than being kept in the past by her. She was an old woman now, and he needed to _finally_ get the chance to live his life. Yes, she did have regrets, but she refused for one of them to be to steal Steve's life now, when he'd gotten a second chance to have one.

No matter how much she had missed him.

Or would again.

* * *

Bruce was amused. Most other doctors would have been annoyed at this point, but - luckily - Bruce did not really do upset in any way. Until he got angry, finally, anyway, and all hell broke lose. Almost literally.

Clint was an even worse patient than Tony, which was almost impressive, if he was honest. Right now, Bruce was doing yet another checkup of the archer, who had been seriously injured a few months ago on an assignment.

Silently, as he let Clint go - and he basically ran from him, which Bruce could only find amusing (he could only love, after all, how some of his team-mates seemed to find _him_ way scarier than they ever did the Hulk) - he thanked his lucky star, not for the first time, for Claire.

Clint, as well as Bucky, he was sure of it, had been struggling pretty badly not six months ago, but the appearance of the charming, goofy young engineer had soundly distracted all of them. Bruce did not pretend to have no regrets, not in any way, but he _did_ think that they were lucky in how things had turned out. He was happy, and he was grateful that he had been given that chance. There was a time when he would have never thought it would ever be possible.

* * *

Tony was cleaning up his workshop. He fully expected that childproofing the tower and all his various workspaces within would take years, and so, naturally, he had long since begun.

Pepper was only weeks away from her due-date now, and while she generally handled all the preparations either on her own or with the help of Natasha, (or, in some cases, with Bucky and Steve, the honorary super-uncles) this he could do.

Tony did not pretend to have no regret; he regretted wasting time, most of all, before his perspective had shifted and he had realised so many things. Some of them at the very nick of time.

He regretted not being a better boyfriend to Pepper, too, and he regretted getting so drunk that afternoon after them breaking up that he did not even remember concieving the only (biological) daughter he'd ever have.

What he did not regret, was, well... _everything else_.

He did not regret what all those wasted years had finally ended up _making_ him. Silly as he knew he could be, he had never actually needed to regret his morals. Which probably meant he had firmly missunderstood that word, as most people used it, but he didn't give a _damn_ about sleeping with too many people or bying too many cars. That hurt nobody.

As for his past, he might have had very few responsibilities, but he had never actually shunned any of them. For years he had barely run his company, but he had always been there to help and support the people who depended on him. Infuriating as he knew he had been (especially for Pepper), and unreliable as he might still be when it came to picking up awards and attending meetings, there had been other issues, and he had never once shrunk from _that_.

There was the time where a SI board member had been harassing a secretary, and he had found her crying in the broom closet by happenstance. Naturally, he had helped her out, and though he realised nowadays that he could have been much more sensitive about it, the years had also granted him the insight that the woman in question had not really _cared_.

After what that man had put her through, she had not needed Tony to handle her with cotton-gloves. She just needed him to _believe_ her, and that he had done, without question. (Jarvis had _tapes_ , once they started to look, for goodness sake. And he had implemented an auto-search for certain things after that, because such a scenario was plainly _unacceptable_.) He had been approached twice more after that in very similar situations, and irresponsible as he was at all other times, he had been able to spot something _important_ , even back then.

He had been lazy and useless, for years, but he was never once an _actual_ asshole. He was proud of himself for that.

He was happy, too, about how things had actually turned out. He knew himself better, now, and much as he loved Pepper, he was not cut out for what she had needed. It was not her fault at all, nor, he was starting to believe, was it _his_.

She had Natasha now, and little baby Potts-Stark-Romanow (Man, they needed to talk about that, too. Poor baby couldn't be burdened with all of that) and Tony, for one, liked their odds. He was sure he would have been a rubbish husband, but he believed Claire when she said she thought he'd make a nice dad. She, after all, would know.

He was not his father - good _or_ bad (you _could_ say bad things about Howard Stark, but he had _not_ been a playboy in any sense of the word) - and he _had_ grown up. Pepper would be happier with Natasha, but it took a village to raise a kid, didn't they say? He'd always be there for _his_ child, and he was grateful more than anything for the chance to realise what was important in his life, _before_ the child was there to be forgotten.

He had his flaws, as they all did (maybe Pepper excluded; not counting her taste in men. Hell, he was relieved for his kid's sake she was a lesbian now, or whatever. Who would she have picked next, _Bruce Wayne_? Gawd), but they had all been so lucky. In finding each other, in forming their own (unusual) family, and he honestly wouldn't have it _any_ other way.


	32. Claire Has Got Peggy Pegged

_I'm still not Marvel (that I know of)._

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Peggy always got many visitors, but ever since Steve had stopped coming around - he was still as honourable (and _obedient_ ) as ever; it was not like she could have actually _stopped_ him, now could she - it was usually family members, and she had never even _heard_ of a "Miss Thomas" before.

She knew who the girl was as soon as she entered the room. Steve had described her, and beyond that, Peggy really just _knew_. This was Steve's Claire. He had never mentioned her last name.

Peggy watched the girl as she crossed the sitting-room, coming over to the side where she herself was sitting on the couch. The girl had both grace and confidence, and also a sort of inherent shyness which wasn't too easy to spot. She looked lightly vulnerable, at the same time as being one of the easiest people in their own skin who Peggy had ever met. She could understand Steve's fascination. And affection, as it had seemed to become over the months. She might even be the lady for him, the one who Peggy had wanted to be - once upon a time - but couldn't; _time_ , in the end, having come in the way.

A part of Peggy whispered that _if_ she had waited... but she knew it was foolish. She would still have been an old woman; with too many things between herself and Steve, even if she hadn't tried to move on (at the time, she had thought successfully so - until she saw Steve again) and had married somebody else.

"Hello, Mrs Evangelié," the girl smiled softly, interrupting Peggy's thoughts. "I am Claire Thomas - I'm a friend of Steve's. I came here hoping we could have a chat." She looked friendly, Peggy noted. There not an ounce, even a speck, of threat in her voice, face or body language. Even her eyes were glimmering kindly - but there was still a hint of steel present there, if one knew what to look for - and Peggy did. This girl would not take no for an answer. Then again, Peggy didn't really want to say it, anyway. She nodded.

The girl sat down, still looking very sweet. "Steve is upset that you don't want to see him anymore." The girl didn't gloss over the fact, but she didn't press it, either. It was just a fact, a footnote - context, for whatever she had actually come here to say. Peggy found herself growing curious, about what that was.

"I guess, still, that's fair. If you don't want to see him again you don't - not much to do about it." The girl's eyes bore into Peggy's with a presence she hadn't met the like of in some time - since the war, maybe - a calm confidence, and the urge to be _heard_.

"The problem, I guess," the girl - Claire - continued, "is that I don't _believe_ that. You loved him once, didn't you? You got over it, with lots and lots of time, or at least you thought you did, until he stood before you again, like a day hadn't passed. Are you angry at him for being back?"

Peggy blinked, taken back and surprised, and then she told the truth. "No, not at all. I am very happy I was still here. So lucky, I got to see him again before my time is up. Which it will be soon, I think - I am a very old woman, dear - but not soon enough, still, for him." Those intelligent eyes had lit with understanding, suddenly.

"You worry you're holding him back." "I don't want to keep him in the past," the former war-hero agreed. "I lived my life, but I am old now, and back to remembering those times. Especially with him here. With my life behind me, that is not a bad thing - in fact, I love having him with me again, while I still have time - but he should not stay there, in the times we left behind. He needs to move on, to get to take his own chance at a life." Mentally, Peggy added, "With a nice girl, like yourself," but she didn't speak that part out loud. The girl looked thoughtful anyway.

"I know what you're coming from - as much as I can, I guess, at my age." "Insightful," Peggy added mentally. "But you're forgetting a few things. He is a super soldier - he will live a _very_ long life, even now, and excuse me for saying it, but there's no way you'll be with us for more than another decade." Peggy didn't take offence, in fact, she thought the estimate was rather generous.

"Steve needs to finish with the past before he moves on. But not in the way you think. So many people from back then were dead before he woke up. He never got the chance to say goodbye, to _any_ of them. To the time, to _anything_. It is just _gone_." Claire's voice had taken on a distinctly distressed tone, as if empathising deeply.

"But the two most important people for him, that's you and Bucky. It meant the world to him, I know it, that you were here when he returned. He's gotten Bucky back now, the hard, long way, and the two of them will be _fine_. But - and excuse me for guessing here, I know very well I don't know you - I think you draw comfort from him being here, from Steve being with you, at the end of your life. You've been through a lot, and it must feel like closure, doesn't it? Circle meeting up at the end, and all that." Claire paused, letting Peggy nod, but she cut her off as she tried to respond.

"You think, though, as far as I can tell - and again, I'm guessing, but _I'd_ think like that - that you're holding Steve _back_ , too. But, you're _not_." The girl spoke with passion, now, and Peggy couldn't help but heed her. "Steve needs to get to _be_ _there_ , this _one time_ , get to say his goodbyes, just this _once_. Five, ten years is nothing in the scope of his life, he only just _begun_ it. Let him have that one link to the past, and that one _goodbye_!"

Peggy had to swallow, before she replied. "He has Bucky," she tried, but she could plainly see that Claire was unimpressed. "He could be missing the girl he's meant to be with while he waits with me," she tried instead. "Someone young, from this time, who can match him. Maybe _you_ , even!"

Claire looked stunned, first, then she blinked. Finally, she laughed. "Firstly, _me_?! _No_ way," she had clearly not even considered it. Why, Peggy, wondered. Steve was a catch. Her next words cleared it up: cleared a lot of things up, actually. "He really never told you?" The girl laughed again, shaking her head. "He must think you a mind-reader. There will not be any girl for Steve - not since _you_ , anyway... I thought he and Bucky was already together when I first met them, but they only made it official recently. I think after everything they went through together, and in this age when they _can_ actually _look_ at each other that way, their friendship turned beyond friendship. We have so many blocks in our minds, don't we... But it fits, doesn't it?"

Peggy was stunned, but mostly by her own lack of surprise. Steve had loved her, she knew that much and did not doubt it - even for a second - but theirs had also been a time when some kinds of love were simply not to be. And even if the seed was there back then, it was possible to love more than one other human being at a time. Besides, the girl from _this_ time was right: it _fitted_.

Peggy smiled back at the girl who was so fiercely protective of Steve: that fit, too, she must admit, and she nodded. "Yes," she said, "it does. You must tell him to bring his man the next time he comes to see me. I've missed _him_ , too."

It would be the first only, of many visits from all three of them, not to mention that Peggy spent quite a few afternoons after it in the tower herself. She found Tony Stark funny, and alike his father in his brilliance, but not in his pride. That was probably for the best, too. And when she met her old friend's grand-daughter for the first time, she felt many things, but regret was not actually one of them.


	33. Perfect

_Look! Update, on_ time _! I swear I'm not sick. I also tried to make it longer, but the story_ refused _._

 _I still do not own Marvel. Yet. ;)_

 _TapTap_

Time has a way of passing. Bucky had grown more accepting of himself, before he even knew it. Claire had been so busy helping everybody else with their problems, that she'd just gotten over her own shock of an entirely new life at Stark Tower. Pepper wasn't sick after all, and she'd forgotten she had been afraid she might be.

Natasha still didn't really believe that she might be within reach of a future she had long forgotten to even dream about, it was such a far ways away, but suddenly it was upon her. Steve had sorted out his past with Peggy and had a future with Bucky. He was finally starting to come to accept his warped life as it was.

Bruce had stopped running. He had wanted to, but refused to voice or even _think_ about the desire to belong, and this very special morning, he was cooking breakfast for his family. A family that, no matter what Tony Stark might joke, he was really the patriarch of. Unusual it might be, but it was _theirs_.

Clint had finally healed from that accident in the field he no longer even remembered. Not too dangerous nor debilitating, it had turned out the trick to get through it, was not to ponder it. It was not so bad, and he needn't worry. He could regain his speed in climbing through Tony's Tower's vents at his own good time. And he _had_ done.

The Hulk had been content already, before anybody else was, because simplistic as his world was, he was so much more immediately insightful than most of his _family_. He had known, already, that that was what they _were_. Family. Other people, to help him and Bruce finally become friends, like they had both befriended their new family.

And Tony, Tony had become a father. And then, a father again, as Pepper had her baby.

* * *

Natasha, who - after Pepper, of course - was the one who was holding the baby first; was utterly speechless, as she was staring down at the tiny person in her arms with complete amazement and wonder. It was moving, just to watch her like that. Completely absorbed, and already adoring this tiny new life anybody would have been a fool not to immediately notice they'd have to get _through_ _her_ to ever get to. Then, everybody who watched had an opportunity to chuckle after discretely wiping away tears, as Tiny Stark got equally as speechless, which was considerably funnier, though perhaps not necessarily less moving.

On the evening after giving birth, Pepper Potts was back in the tower, feet up, watching everybody coo over her girlfriend's shoulder; as the Black Widow plainly refused to relinquish the baby. Nobody pushed: possibly they didn't dare _to_ , but mostly it was just so obvious that this was where the baby was meant to be right now. A little baby girl, safely wrapped in an embroidered red blanked, safely ensconced in her mother's arms.


	34. Everyone Is A Hen Mum (Hulk Included)

_Aaaand I'm back to being late. I said I wasn't sick. (Turns out, I actually was; flu times and all that... Obviously, I am now better.)_

 _I still do not own Marvel._

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Claire could not tell which feeling was the dominant one. Neither in the man she was watching, nor in herself. Watching Tony Stark work while keeping an almost obsessive eye on a baby monitor was as baffling as it was endearing, and she felt as proud as she felt concerned about him - he was almost at the point where he forgot his coffee, and that just _couldn't_ be safe when handling the type of prototypes he was designing.

As for Tony, she couldn't identify which one was the stronger feeling amongst the many ones she could read in his expression; he was normally harder to read than this. That was, the strongest one _except_ love, but that much was _obvious_. Never mind _everything_ else, Tony Stark _adored_ his seventeen days old daughter with a passion which would have almost been funny if it wasn't so _heart-warming_.

Of course, Tony wasn't the only one completely taken with the newest addition to the Avengers' family: each and every older member seemed to be a bundle of love for the little girl, and Claire knew she was included.

Pepper guarded her like the lioness they all new she was at heart, Natasha somehow managed to seem even _more_ deadly if she needed to defend her daughter (reporters with too personal questions had learnt to back off _damned_ fast, and reporters were not famous for their delicacy) and she couldn't even think of Steve and Bucky's cooing over the baby without chuckling.

Maybe most surprising, had been the reaction of the Hulk. Bruce had reported the baby's screaming had made the "jolly green giant" - as Tony not so helpfully expressed it - quite agitated and worried, but none of them had been able to predict his unrestrained reaction.

The baby had been sleeping in her cot at night, while Clint (who was a lot more relaxed about babies than the rest of them) watched over her as he couldn't sleep. He had left the Moses basket safely in the living room to make himself a drink and settle before the tv, when she'd waken up screaming.

They had all been sleeping, the baby monitor not turned on as Clint had her. Clint had headed back immediately of course, within easy reach to hear her as he had been (you could say many things about Clint, possibly, but he was a _very_ responsible babysitter) when her crying unexpectedly had awoken the Hulk.

Bruce's floor was only two floors up from the one Clint and the baby had been occupying, and of course no one was using the elevator at this time: not that the Hulk actually had taken it. Jarvis later reported how he had apparently simply climbed down the elevator shaft.

The sum of all of this, was that when Clint returned to the baby to soothe her, the Hulk had already been there. With the baby.

Now, different from Bruce, who tended to think the worst of the Hulk in many ways, most of the other Avengers trusted their largest teammate very well, and so Clint had not immediately jumped to any dangerous conclusions, even though him being uncomfortable with the situation would have been quite the understatement.

Hulk had not been doing anything, either, just looking around, searching for danger, visibly upset that the baby was upset. It had taken Clint several moments to calm the Hulk, before he could get to the baby. Merely upset because she had been alone, seemingly, she quieted as soon as she was picked up. The Hulk had watched this silently, peeking over Clint's shoulder for a minute or so. After that, he had turned back into a very upset Bruce, who took at least five times as much effort to handle as his supposedly less reasonable counterpart.

In fact; Bruce had still been fussing when Natasha woke at five to come collect her daughter, and it took swift intervention by Clint to prevent a misunderstanding which might have ended in lives lost.

As it was, Tony installed Hulk-alarms at the elevator-shift, Pepper glared at people for saying silly things about it, and Claire had a soft-spoken conversation with the Hulk through a _deeply_ uncomfortable Bruce, affirming once and for all that the Hulk wanted to _protect_ the baby, _not_ hurt her.

"He knows she's too fragile for him to pick up. He understands now that she screams for other reasons than grownups would and that it doesn't mean she's in danger. I asked him to wake me the next time, instead, and I'd help. He promised he would," she told a disbelieving dinner gathering of Avengers that same evening.

"Well, I'm sure he will, then," Tony finally concluded, and in still stunned disbelief, went back to his roast beef.

They were both right. The Hulk did. And he proved quite a useful help, too.


	35. Night-time Escapades

_I do not own Marvel. I would be even more crazy and/or eccentric if I owned Marvel._

 _TapTap_

Ever since that moment, when Claire had accepted Miss Virginia "Pepper" Potts offer of a job as Tony Starks personal lab assistant, she had almost lost the concept of something being "strange". She didn't really _do_ surprise any more.

There was a mad genius blasting ACDC until the ceiling shook while teaching her how to restore an Isetta bubble car to its former "glory". There was a for all intents and purposes - at least in traditional definitions - a mad scientist cooking them (bizarrely) authentic Indian curry every night and when she moved into freaking Stark Tower, a genetically engineered superhero and his Brooklyn-born Russian boyfriend/fellow super soldier had helped her move her couch.

She had never been somebody inclined to fuss very much, and after a year or so of accidentally getting locked up with the Hulk and sparring with assassins (although usually not the one who did ballet, because you know - _danger_ ) she had all but abandoned the concept. Nothing, and that is _nothing_ , alarmed Claire Thomas any more.

This point was proven rather pointedly, as she was woken at 3.07 am on a Thursday morning, by the Hulk standing in her bedroom and growling loudly: and she could still inform Pepper exactly what time it was, when asked the next morning.

"Hulk?" Claire frowned, coming more fully awake, sitting up in her giant bed. She was wearing her hair - recently cropped off at the waist - loose around her shoulders and pyjama bottoms with the Mark 121 suit on them, along with a yellow t-shirt showing the new and improved arch reactor, as Tony had whined about all her t-shirts with the old lethal platinum design on them.

The Hulk, still showing remnants of what Bruce had been wearing - along with the Hulk-proof boxers Tony and Bruce had designed together - growled again in response. Padding out of bed, she asked the natural question, even though she suspected she knew what had drawn the Hulk to her room. "Is everything alright? There´s not a crisis, is there?" At the Hulk's grunted affirmative and then headshake to answer the second part of her question, she drew a breath of relief and slipped her feet into the elegant slippers Pepper had gifted her, "To even out Tony's - lack - of fashion sense."

"Is it the baby?" This time, the Hulk gave a distressed, "Sad!" and Claire nodded. "Where is she?" She asked, only to be picked up by the Hulk and carried at great speed through the little used emergency stairwell at the back of the tower. It seemed the Hulk was not fooled by alarms meant to alert Jarvis to his presence.

Pepper, Natasha and Tony's yet unnamed, three-week-old baby was sobbing quietly, not yet reaching the level of full screaming - which, Claire assumed, was shy she had yet to be heard by whoever her sitter was tonight - in the living room when Hulk put Claire down. Walking straight over and picking the baby up, yet less than a minute after waking up, Claire was not surprised when the Hulk slipped back out of the room again, still not using the elevator shaft. She assumed he was heading either to Bruce's room, or possibly to his own. Not that the Hulk would feel the need to contain himself, she supposed. The Hulk was not one to fuss.

Except, she noted with some amusement, apparently over babies. Said baby had gone back to sleep in her arms, as new-borns did, and she put her back down with a kiss to her head. As she slipped back out of the room, she noticed Steve and Bucky coming out of the more brightly lit kitchen, checking on the baby like the responsible uncles that they were. Smiling, she went towards the elevator. No need to give the Hulk away; he had stuck to his part of the deal, after all.

"Miss Claire?" There was a measure of surprise in Jarvis' voice, but she merely smiled towards the elevator panel. Jarvis wouldn't give them away unless asked: the AI was nothing if not discreet.

Silent, she let the stunned Jarvis take her up to her own floor, which he did without another word.


	36. Someone Has Made Mistakes

_I do not own Marvel. Mhmm._

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Perhaps not entirely unexpectedly, Claire woke up in the morning to a huge amount of chaos. She might have even predicted this, had she not been so sleepy the night before; not to mention focused on other things.

Bruce had awakened late - compared to his normal habit - and had found that he had been transformed in his sleep. He had no idea of what might have happened, he only knew the Hulk had been there. Without trace. The resulting panic was absolute, and highly predictable.

When Claire came downstairs to have breakfast at ten o'clock, the kitchen was already full, and in a state of full uproar.

Startled, Claire stopped dead in the doorway, beholding the chaos and blinking at the loud voices. The sudden movement alerted a few of the Avengers, as did the turn of Natasha's head. Cautiously, the engineer stepped into the room. "What's wrong?"

"Bruce transformed in the night." Clint's voice was sympathetic. It was Tony who continued. "We've got nothing. We don't know where he went - _I_ don't think anybody got hurt, but we don't _know_ , and…"

"I don't think Hulk left the tower," Claire noted immediately, then bit her lip guiltily as everybody stared at her. She looked up to meet the ragged-looking, puzzled Bruce's eyes. "The baby woke him up, again. He came to get me, as we said."

"When?" Pepper's voice was a little sharp, while Bucky and Steve merely looked very puzzled. "3.07," Claire specified. "He took me down the stairwell at the back of the tower - I don't think the Hulk alarms work, Tony, he's a lot cleverer than you'd think… - he brought me to the baby before she was even properly crying. I was leaving when Steve and Bucky came to check up on her." "I told Steve I saw you!" Bucky's voice was a bit triumphant.

"Right…" Noted Steve, still frowning. "I'm sorry I told no one, but I didn't realise… I mean I didn't think we had to make a mess, and…" Claire babbled. "You didn't realise I'd know, and you didn't want to worry anybody." Bruce's eyes were soft with forgiveness.

"I'm glad that you're friends with the Hulk, Claire, it is making this easier - believe it or not - and I understand your loyalty." At Claire's grimace, Bruce smiled. "No, really. And you're right - as long as your system works, it might be better not to make a big deal out of it. But, let _me_ know, will you? Feeling out of control is one thing - this morning, I felt entirely _hijacked_."

"Well, don't worry about that much. I won't do _that_ mistake again," Claire assured him, voice cynic. Bruce smiled. For once, Tony just stared, unable to detect the humour. Bruce would later mock him for it, for _weeks_ ; and Clint would not be _any_ better.


End file.
